Gon x Killua - Brotherhood (A Hunter x Hunter Fanfiction)
by Loopy1234
Summary: Perhaps it's fate that their lives will intertwine again. A new barrier that sprung up during their separation puts their shattered friendship to test. They'll have to rediscover the things that drew them together in the first place, and savor every drop of it. Because... "Nothing gold can stay." -Before you realize the importance of friendship, it'll already be behind you.
1. Chapter 1 - A x New x Journey

**Chapter 1 - A x New x Journey**

A beam of morning light pierces through shade and into the room, illuminates its entire surroundings. It's just a plain old simple room that anyone can have. It has a desk, a chair, and other ordinary furnitures.

"Huh? It's morning already?"

A voice pierces through the silence of the morning. It's a boy's voice. He slowly climbs out of bed, puts on his green jacket, and draws the shade open.

Being on the 25th floor, this apartment actually has a decent view when compared to the other apartments in the city. Even though everything that surrounds it is all buildings there's a pretty good eagle-eye view to the ground.

The boy murmurs, "Well, I guess that's the last night that I'll spend in this apartment in a while." He opens the door a tiny bit, and peeps through the crack. But no one's is in sight. He opens his mouth to speak, but just before he has the chance to make any sound, another in the apartment beats him to it.

"Ah! Gon! You're finally up!"

Gon responds to the sudden voice, however, not surprised at all. "Good morning dad. But 'finally up?' it's still early morning."

"I hope you remember, you're leaving to search for your mother today."

"Don't remind me." Gon answers, disgusted.

"Hey, don't sound like that, she is your own mother, after all. And you should care about her." Gon's dad - Ging, tries his to make Gon feel better about departing, but Gon isn't getting it.

"If you cared about her, you would've come with me."

"I told you, I have to go to a meeting with my colleagues about the project to go outside. I can't decline it."

"Yeah. Sure, sure." Gon retorts back, sounding sarcastically.

"Well. Just to reiterate, you'll leave at 9, which is in 1 hour. You'll go to the airport and travel to meteor city. But make sure to stay safe. Because that's the home of the Phantom Troupe. Everything's already packed. You should have breakfast right now….Oh! Make sure to practice your Nen every day. Or else your aura will shrink."

"Blah, blah, blah. Yeah I know."

"Listen, Gon. You're 13, you have to learn how to take care of yourself."

"I was taking myself just fine two years ago, before I found you. I had friends, they were really nice….Speaking of them, I really do miss them. Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio." Gon's voice drops as he thinks about his past. All of the good times that he and his friends shared together makes him feel nostalgic.

"No need to feel bad, you'll make new friends along this trip too. And considering this trip will be a long one. You'll have more time to bond with them."

"So you're saying I'm going to completely leave Killua and just forget about him?"

"What else can you do, you've texted him so many messages, but he hasn't responded to any of them."

"So? That doesn't mean anything?" Even saying this on the outside, deep down, Gon knows what's probably true.

"You have to face the reality. You'll only lose yourself if you sink into your past."

"Are you done with the pep talk? It's not really helping my mood."

Gon slowly drags himself over to the table, and sits himself down.

"Alright, alright. I'm done. Here, come have breakfast. Oh, and by the way. I bought a whole box of Pocky for your trip. And they're your favorite flavor - Green Tea!"

"Yay…." Gon answers weakly, His voice contradicts his words.

"And do you know what's even better?"

"What?" Gon replies, annoyed.

"Here." Ging takes out a card out of his pocket, and hands it over to Gon.

"You can have this credit card. Use it as much as you like. I don't care. Buy anything. I have enough money for your desires."

"Why are you so nice suddenly?" Gon voices his doubt. Because Ging's the type of person that would sneak some little trick into the ordinary stuff.

"I know why you are suspicious. But, considering that I left you for the first 12 years of your life, consider this as one of the compensations. So trust me, there's no trick involved in this."

"Oh. Ok then. Thanks? I guess." Gon puts the card into his wallet.

Suddenly, Ging's phone starts to ring, and he answers it.

"Hello, this is Ging Freecss. May I know who's speaking?"

While listening to his father's response, Gon thinks: _Wow, that doesn't sound like my dad. He's always so "manly" in front of me, but he's really polite in front of strangers._

Since Gon can't hear the other end of the phone because his dad doesn't have the speaker on, he sits in his chair and quietly munches down his breakfast.

When Ging's call ends, he speaks to Gon,

"Well, the car to the airport is already here. You can leave now, it's better to be early than late."

"Ugh. Listen to your tone dad, you're basically rushing me out."

Ging completely ignores his son's comment, he kneels slightly to get on Gon's eye-level and gently pats his spiky black hair on the head. He speaks with a real even but serious tone.

"Gon, if you think I want to let you go, then you're definitely a fool. I completely regret my actions 12 years ago when I left to be a hunter than to raise you. Promise me, come back safely, with mom, ok?"

As he gets to the end of his sentence, tears begin to well up in his eyes. But he quickly shakes them off with a wipe of his hand. He says, "Alright, let's go."

Gon walks over to his bag. When you think about it, it's actually nothing. Only taking a backpack on a trip that might take months will probably be considered underpacking.

The two of them stays completely silent on their elevator down. Nobody speaks a single word. However, their quiet mood drastically changes when Gon is about to get onto the car.

"I'll miss you son."

"Mmm. I'll miss you too dad."

With this final exchange of words, Ging collapses. Tears gush out of his eyes. He can no longer withstand the sorrow of departure, of people leaving him.

"What's the matter, dad?"

"It's….bec….Nothing." Ging hesitates when finishing off his last word.

Gon notices that he isn't telling the truth. But he knows that right now isn't a good time to pursue any further.

"Gon. Make sure to call me at least once every week. Ok?"

"Ok. I promise."

The two of them bring their hands together, and do their usual "Pinky promise"

"Pinky, pinky bow-bell, Whoever tells a lie will sink down to the bad place and never rise up again."

The promise is sealed, and Gon hops onto the car immediately following Gon's steps the door closes by itself. All they can do now, is to wave their last goodbyes.

Gon looks back through the back windshield, he can see his dad's face. It's a mess from all of the crying.

The car start, and begins to move forward. The same goes for Gon's life.

Gon shuts his eyes, relaxes, and falls asleep.

However, for Gon, he has no idea that this journey will forever redefine the meaning of his life.

"Mr. Freecss, excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt your sleep, but we've arrived at the airport."

A voice slices though Gon's dreams, snapping him back to reality.

"Huh? Oh. What's up with the formal 'Mr. Freecss'?"

"You are the son of a famous hunter, and plus you're our customer. Speaking of which, will you need my assistance on checking in and getting the boarding pass?"

"Nah. I'm good. My dad already paid you, right?"

"Yes, you don't have to do anything."

"Well, thanks for the ride. I'll be going now."

"Good luck on your trip1"

"Thanks!"

The car pulls off, and Gon heads into the terminal.

" _Huh. So I fell asleep right after I got on, and didn't wake up until I got here. I must be really tired….Ah! Forget it, I'll just get the pass and sleep on the plane. It'll be a 10-hour flight anyway."_

Since Gon left for the airport earlier than normal, there aren't many people in line, so he quickly heads over to the check-in area and walks up toward one of the counters.

"Good morning, sir. May I take a look at your passport?"

Gon hands over his passport, along with his Hunter's license.

The lady takes a quick look at both document and then says, shocked,

"Wow, Mr. Freecss, you're already a Pro-Hunter at the age of 13."

"Yes, indeed I am." Gon answers proudly.

"Good for you! And just to clarify, you are boarding the 11:00 flight with the destination of Meteor City, right?"

"Yeah."

"By the looks of things, you only have a carry-on, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Since you have your Hunter's license, you won't be needing your Visa, so you're all set. Your seat is going to be on the third row, in first class. Here are the boarding pass and your documents.

"Alright, thanks!"

Gon waves her goodbye, and heads toward security. On the way there, he notices the restaurants and shops.

" _Oh. They have a McDonalds. I might have some of that after security."_

However, after he successfully gets through security, he realizes that he can't go back out.

" _Aww. I can't go back out after getting through security. I'm so dumb….Well, I have one hour and a half of time to kill before I get on the plane."_

Gon starts to walk toward the gate, which turns out to be right next to security. After finding a seat, he starts to brainstorm ideas on fun things he can do to pass time. But before he can think of anything, he falls asleep again.

He wakes up to the sound of the loudspeaker.

"All first class and business class passengers can begin to proceed onto the plane. Please take care of your belongings."

After gaining conscienceless again, Gon immediately stands up and rushes toward the gateway with his backpack.

"I just can't wait to sit in a first-class seat before! I haven't been to one! This is so exciting!"

Gon hands over his boarding to the person working there. He swipes him in, and he dashes through the bridge connection between the building and the plane.

After getting onto the plane and finding his spot, he notices that the first class section is filled with rooms. They're pretty small, each has an area of around 8 yards by 8 yards. Each room contains two reclinable seats facing each other, with a desk in between them, a sliding door separates them from the rest of the plane. It's honestly not a lot of space, but considering this is all on a plane, one should be happy about having this luxury.

"I wonder who's the other person in this room? Hopefully, they're not going to be a wierdo. Hmm, is there a name tag here somewhere?"

Gon raises his head, and directly above him, he sees two little screens. The one directly above himself has his name on it.

"Which means that the tag on the other side will have the other person's name."

Gon stands up and gets onto the other side, when he looks up and sees the tag, he falls utterly speechless.

The tag reads: _Killua Zoldyck_

Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupts his train of thought from behind. It's a voice that he yearns for, it's a voice that will bring joy to his hear whenever just by hearing it.

"It's been a while Gon. I didn't expect to meet you here."

He speaks with a real even tone, but Gon can tell that he's trying his best on hiding his laughter.

Gon turns around, and immediately smiles upon seeing the face of the familiar silver-haired boy in his classic white T-shirt and purple sleeves.

Gon stands up, and they bring their arms together with a hug.

"Killua….It's been so long. I missed you so much."

Killua's cheeks turn red, "Aren't you a little embarrassed by what you're saying? But anyway….I miss you too."


	2. Chapter 2 - An x Unexpected x Reunion

**Chapter 2 - An x Unexpected x Reunion**

The two boys don't even realize how much time has passed until the pilot starts to talk over the intercom.

"Dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts, adjust your seats to the upright position, restore your tray to its original position, and get ready for takeoff."

The plane is slowly making it's over to the runway. Through the huge window in their room, Gon takes a look at his hometown for the last time, and shuts his eyes when the plane starts to accelerate into the air.

" _Killua was the one with me through everything. Hunter's exam, Heaven's Arena, Yorknew City and the Phantom Troupe, Greed island, the Chimera Ants, and the Chairman Election. Without Killua, I wouldn't be the person I am right now."_

Gon is reminiscing his past adventures with Killua. To Gon, Killua is his first dear friend; the same thing goes for Killua.

The plane has decreased its acceleration, and Killua is searching for a button to lean his seat back.

"Ahh here we go! Found it!" He presses the button and holds onto it. His chair starts to tilt back, all the way down until resembling a bed. "Yo! This is sick! We get to sleep on an actual bed on a plane?! Anyway, Gon, you wanna fill each other in on what we each did over this year? I'm kinda curious."

"Yeah, sure. I'll start first if that ok with you. Although my story is pretty short."

"Sure, go ahead."

"After we parted, I had my first talk with Ging. And we came back to his apartment in the city. I actually didn't do much after that. Just lived a normal life. Trained Nen everyday, but that's about it."

"Wait, you didn't do anything for a whole year?" Killua couldn't believe his ears. For Gon, a person always excited to try new things, didn't try out a single new thing for a year.

"Yeah. I didn't what to do. My dad has to go to work everyday, so I'd be alone in the apartment most of the time. Sure I played video games once in a while, but they get boring. What about you, what did you do with your sister Alluka?" Gon realises there aren't many exciting things to talk about in his side, he he decides to switch the topic to Killua's.

"So you remembered! We a lot of famous sightseeing places and big cities. We travelled for a good 10 months. After that, we were getting short on money so we went to Heavens Arena hoping to earn some. However, with Alluka's power. She ended up making a lot of enemy with her power to grant wishes. As you probably know, for the Zoldyck family of assassins, having enemies isn't a good thing. As a result, my parents forced her back. They sent her back to the family mansion for solitary constraint. I promised her to stay with her, but now I can't. I've been searching for ideas and possible ways to get her back with me again. Since I haven't been to Meteor city yet, I figured I might start there….But now since I met you, we'll do it together! Just like old times!"

Killua gets thinking about their past again; tears start to flow down Gon's cheek uncontrollably.

"What's the matter? Why are you crying?" Killua asks,

"It's just….I never realized the importance of a friend until I actually needed one….Killua….you."

Killua reaches out his hand to hold Gon's.

"Killua….I'm happy that I met you in the first place….And I'm even happier that we met again, here…..So, thank you!"

"Huh? Gon…." Killua is just about to say something, but he couldn't bring the words out of his throat.

"Mmm?"

"It's….Nothing." He swallows his previous sentence back, however, what he was about to say is clearly still in his head: "Gon, you got it backward. I'm the one, who's glad that I got to know you."

"Let's change the subject up a bit. Why are you here?"

"Oh me? Ging told me there are clues relating to the location of my mother there; I'm searching for her."

"Why didn't he go with you?"

It's a logical question. I would make sense for a husband to look for a lost wife. However, only the son is looking for her.

Gon sighs, and also presses the button to lean his seat back. But he stops halfway.

"I've been asking myself the same question. I asked him this before, but he came up with reasons and excuses to change the subject."

Even though the two of them haven't met in over a year, none of them is holding their secret. Their friendship was so intense they still share a bond that still hasn't disappeared after a whole year.

"Well, your dad is definitely hiding something. Could it be that he's embarrassed to see her? Or doesn't want to? What would cause him to think that way though?"

Gon is just about to join Killua's train of thought, but he is interrupted by a light knock on their door.

Gon answers with, "Yes? Who is it?"

The voice says,"We snacks and beverages for purchase, would you be interested?"

Killua whispers to Gon, "The food you buy on a plane is always really expensive, I don't have much money, so just tell her to go away."

Gon's eyes shot up, and answers proudly to the stewardess, "We'll take single snack you have!"

Killua's serious, helpful expression changes to confusion, "Huh? Is this a prank?"

Gon ignores him and opens the door. He finds himself a young woman standing in front of him with a cart, her mouth wide open. She finally manages to recover herself after a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, but where are your parents?"

Killua is watching Gon's strange act with her from his seat. Gon responds to her question with, "Why do you ask?"

"Because pulling a prank onto the air line is intolerable."

"What?! We're not pulling a prank!" Gon starts to yell at her, attracting the attention of others in the cabin. The stewardess stares at Gon with a "Oh really?" look. "Well, do you have the money to pay for all of this? All of these will cost around 2000 Jennys."

Gon searches his pocket for his new credit card, hands it over to her, turns around, and shoots Killua a thumbs up.

"Oh...Mr. Gon Freecss", says the stewardess as she looks over the card, "I apologize for my previous actions. It seems like I falsely estimated you….Anyway….are you still going to buy everything here?"

"Yes."

"That'll be a total of…" She was just about to finish her sentence, but Gon holds his hand up and says "Stop, I don't want to know the price."

"Oh….ok….I'll just complete the purchase then." She swipes the card through the machine, and unloads everything in the cart into Gon and Killua's room. She turns around and leaves with an empty cart, thinking "Those two are some strange kids over there."

In their room, all of the snacks pilled onto the table are at least a feet tall. And they're not all snacks. There are candies, pies, ice cream. All sorts of things that you'd expect at a good restaurant. Gon shuts the door, and says, "Now, let's enjoy ourselves!"

"Burp! I'm full." Yells Gon after finishing up three whole pies, a whole basket of candy, two ice cream sundaes. Are we still going to have lunch? Cuz I doubt I can eat anything again."

Killua suddenly points at the window, his eyes lit up, shocked. "Gon! Look!"

When Gon turns around to see what the matter is, Killua slams a whole apple onto Gon's face.

"Ha! Got'em!" Killua yells in satisfaction and excitement.

"Ahhh! This is so slimy!" Gon tries to wipe the mess off his face, but it's hopeless.

"Hey! What was that for?" Gon question Killua, a little annoyed.

"I can tell just from that response of your that you haven't been with friends lately."

"Huh? How can you tell?" Asks Gon, confused.

"If you've been with friends, you would've definitely threw something back at me to get even. But you're not doing that. It'll take you some time to get you back into the groove. But it'll be ok."

"Oh really?" Gon asks that question suspiciously, but he stuffed a cookie in his left hand, which is under the table.

"What? You don't believe me?" Killua crosses his arms, leans back, sighs and shuts his eyes.

" _This is the perfect time to hit him with this cookie."_ Right when Gon throws the cookie at Killua's face, Killua moves his right arm with perfect sync and speed with the cookie and catches it before it can hit.

"Woah! Killua! How did you catch it that fast!"

Killua's face turns into a proud smile and starts to show off.

"Oh, you didn't know?"

"No."

"Here's the short explanation. Since my Nen power is electricity, I can use my power to unleash "Speed of Lightning" It drains a lot of energy, but since I charged before going on this trip, I shouldn't run out for a day or two. With "Speed of Lightning" activated, my body is able to perform incredible reflexes and speed. The highest I've ever achieved was 140 miles per hour."

"Wow….Looks like you've gotten a lot stronger over time….. Unlike your ability, I doubt my Jajanken will do any good in real combat situations. It takes too long to charge up." Gon stares at the floor, ashamed of his inability in Nen.

"Gon."

"Huh?" Gon looks up when his name is suddenly called, surprised. Only finding himself a smiling Killua who is staring at him. Killua nods silently when their eyes meet.

" _Don't worry, Gon. Until you've discovered a new ability, or improved your current one. I'll protect you from any harm…. I have to, because I can't afford to lose you….my dear friend….I promise."_

Even though these are the through in Killua's mind, even though Gon never heard any of them, he nods in response to Killua, and the frown gradually turns into a smile.

"Right….Sorry Killua…..We're supposed to smile when we talk about the future, the journey ahead of us."

" _That's it, Gon, that's the spirit. And I'm sure that I'll need you sometimes, too."_

Killua raises his right hand, looking for a high five. Gon brings it home with a strong slap.

"Oww….That stings…" Killua tries his best to hide his pain, but the force on that slap was something.

A long road lies ahead of the two boys. Through friendship and willpower, do Gon and Killua have what it takes to triumph in the end? What will happen in their Journey to Meteor City?


	3. Chapter 3 - End x And x Beginning

**Chapter 3 - End x And x Beginning**

The flight has been peaceful so far. After stuffing themselves with candies and treats, Gon and Killua fell asleep. They've slept for five hours already. Outside their dark room, the stewardess is currently passing out lunch to passengers.

She knocks on their door. However, the two remain asleep.

"Excuse me? Are you asleep? It's lunch time."

Killua notices the noise from outside. He sits up, yawns lazily, and makes his way to the door quietly without much movement, trying not to wake Gon up. He opens the door, "Yeah?"

"Sorry to disturb your sleep, but it's lunch."

"Alright, glad I woke up then. What do you have?" Even though they just stuffed themselves with snacks only three hours ago, he's already hungry again.

"We have two options. The first option is the Western meal, which is Steak Filet Mignon, the second one is Eastern. It's sushi. Which one will you have?"

"OOh...Tough choice….But since I'm getting kinda bored with Sushi, I'll take the steak option."

"Sure." The stewardess takes a tray from the cart and places it onto the table in their room.

"And since he's still asleep, he won't be having anything then?" She points to Gon, who is still sound asleep…..Wait...you two know each other, right?"

"Yeah….we're friends….we've spent years traveling with each other." Gon puts his hand up to his chin, and hesitates, "Actually, can you leave him a Western meal too?"

"Um….Sure. But it'll go cold soon though."

"It's fine….we'll work it out. Just leave it here." Killua points at the table, and she takes another tray out of the cart and puts it there.

"Alright. Thanks." Killua waves her goodbye, and she moves onto the next room. Killua gets back into his seat. He adjusts the tilt upward so it's a chair again. He then lifts the shade a little bit, just enough to see the outside, however, it doesn't disturb Gon.

Outside, the sun is setting. The bright sunlight dyes the horizon orange. Killua's eyes begin to waver as he turns his eyes toward Gon, and looks at him both respectfully and adoringly. " _Gon. I'm also really glad that we met here. I need you. So, please, stay with me._

With that last thought, Killua closes his eyes. The rooms stay silent, the orange sunset rushes into their room through the opened shade, coloring their sleeping bodies to bright orange. The two friends remain asleep, until….

Gon wakes up to the sound of blaring alarms.

"Huh? What's happening? Are we still on the plane? Is it an emergency?" Millions of questions rush into Gon's head before he has the chance to try to answer them. However, the captain's voice gets heard over the loudspeaker.

"Dear passengers. This is your captain speaking. We've encountered some emergencies. We need to begin emergency descent and landing right now. Please hold on to your seats, fasten your seat belts, and get into the brace position. Good luck."

"What emergency? Is it so serious that we have to crash land?" Before he gets to those, Gon notices the still asleep Killua next to him. He shakes him awake.

"Hey! Killua. Wake up! We've encountered some emergencies, and we have to emergency land!"

Killua rubs his eyes, still feeling a few droplets of tears he shed before he went to sleep. He looks at his watch, on it, it says 11:35 PM.

"Huh. We've slept for around five to six hours now. And Gon, what emergency is it?"

"Beats me. I would've told you if I knew." Gon shrugs.

They suddenly feel a huge tremor of the aircraft. The head of the plane tilts down, and they begin to lose altitude at an incredible speed. The two boys cling dearly to the handle next to them, not speaking a single word. The engine sound outside gets louder and louder until that's everything they could hear.

"This isn't going to work. We'll crash down with so much speed. We won't survive!" Killua screams at the top of his lungs to overcome the noise of the engine, "We have to get off!"

"Killua, are you saying that we're leaving everyone else here to die?" Gon questions his friend's judgment. However, Killua doesn't back off so easily. "If we don't, we'll end up dead too!"

Gon begins to come up with a solution. On the screen in front of him, there are words written in big red font; they read _10,000 Mi until impact_. Five seconds later, _9,000 Mi until impact._

Gon's brain is running at full capacity, trying to come with a plan where everyone will be able to survive.

"Oh! Killua! I know!" Gon suddenly yells in joy. This sudden reaction surprises Killua.

"Huh? What is it?"

"I'll jump out of the plane, and use my Jajanken to knock the plane up. That way, it'll decrease its speed. So the pilot can control it again." Gon speaks his final solution. However, Killua's expression darkens with every word Gon speaks.

"Gon, you do realize that you…." Before Killua can finish his sentence, however, Gon cuts him off.

"One person dying is better than more than one hundred dying." Gon speaks with determination.

" _How can Gon still be smiling in a situation like this?!"_ Thinks Killua, confused at the uncanny willpower that's supporting Gon.

"Gon, I can't let you do that. We're supposed to be together for the future, remember?" Killua averts his gaze from Gon. "S-sorry…..there's something...in m-my eyes."

Gon unfastens his seat belt, the moment he does that, he can no longer get a clear footing on the plane. As a result, he goes flying upward until he hits the ceiling. He extends his hand toward Killua.

Thinking that Gon wants to get back down to his seat, Killua reaches out his hand to help him. However, instead of grabbing it, Gon pushes against it. He focuses all of his aurae on his legs. Just before he releases his jump however, Gon's final words were:" Killua, in my next life, I want to be me so that I can meet you again!"

With that last sentence, Gon busts out of the plane and begins to free fall downward.

"NOOO! GON! DON'T!" Killua screams at Gon's decision. However, it is all too late.

Outside, the temperature is freezing. Gon can already see the ground under him. No, it's just a small island in the middle of the ocean. He doesn't have long until the impact. Because he is descending at a slower rate than the plane, he has to act quick. Gon charges up his aura into his fist.

"Saisho was gu! Jan….Ken…..Gu!" (First comes rock! Rock….Paper….Rock!)

He raises his fist to hit the plane. The entire aircraft shakes wildly when met with the impact of his fist. The result of the punch, just like Gon planned, decreased the speed of the aircraft by a huge amount. What didn't go according to the plan is that, after breaking through the wall to get outside, the pressure inside the plane and the outside is uneven. Thus, Killua is struggling to cling onto a steady object and trying not to get sucked outside. Killua slightly turns his head, to see how close they were to the ground. However, he catches a glimpse Gon. His eyes closed, his mouth remains smiling.

" _I've done what I could. I saved everyone on the plane….Wait….what?"_ Gon was thinking at an incredibly peaceful state. However, an object suddenly ties him around his waist. And in the next moment, he gets swung right back into the plane that's above him. And in front of him, is Killua, dangling almost outside of the falling plane, with a yoyo in his other hand.

"Killua, you saved me by tying your yoyo around me and brought me back up….Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet. You may have accelerated the plane, but it is still descending quickly. We'll crash land in less than five seconds! Brace yourself! And make sure to use…."

The two boys speak in perfect unison. "Ko!" They focus their aura into their legs to brace for the impact. One second later, everything goes black.

"Gon! Gon! Wake up!"

"Huh? Where am I? What happened?" The first thing Gon sees is Killua's concerned face directly above his. Gon tries to sit up, but when he tries to push himself upward. He feels an incredible amount of pain in his left arm.

"Good, Gon. You're awake. Don't try to sit up. You broke your left arm during that crash landing." Killua does his best to try to comfort Gon. Under the starry night, Gon looks around and sees many tents being set up and people running around carrying the wounded.

"How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours."

"And you weren't?"

" I was unconscious for around an hour, but I woke up myself." Killua smiles gently after realizing that he remains slightly stronger than Gon.

"Killua, where are we now?"

"I'm not sure, but some small island in the middle of the ocean. It'll be hard on trying to survive here. We have a limited amount of resources. We're not getting any reception. Additionally, I saw a tall building on the other end of the island. So after you recover, it might be worth checking out."

Suddenly, an indescribable sensation rushes into Gon. He shivers at the weird feeling.

" _Do I tell Killua? Why am I asking that? I have to tell him. I can't hide any secrets. We're best friends, and we share the same fate…"_

"Killua."

"Yes?"

"I don't know why….but this place reminds me of the game ' _Greed island' ."_

After crash landing onto this mysterious island. Gon gets hit by the similarities between this island and Greed Island. What causes him to think that way? Are they on the same island that they were on before?


	4. Chapter 4 - Affection x Or x more?

**Chapter 4 - Affection x Or x more?**

Five hours have passed since the plane's unexpected crash onto the deserted island. The sun is peeking its head over the horizon bit by bit. The survivors all gathered together and constructed a camp for their stay on the island as they wait for other skilled workers to build a ship that can carry all of them away from this island and hopefully onto the mainland. There aren't enough tents for everyone, even when entire families are crammed into one small tent, there still isn't enough. As a result, some has to sleep outside in the open. Luckily enough, since Gon and Killua are still kids, they get a priority on receiving their tent.

Since it's still early dawn and last night was the wild plane crash. The two boys are still asleep inside their tent. It isn't big by any means. It can fit four people sleeping shoulders to shoulders. Inside, are the bare essentials: a solar-powered lamp and two sleeping bags.

Outside, some people are already awake. They're mainly checking the surroundings of the area and planning out their stay on the island.

 _Another three hour passes ~_

The first thing Gon hears after waking up is loud whistling. He puts his green jacket on while Killua changes into his blue undershirt and his v-neck T-shirt. Then they head over to the place of the whistling when they step outside. The bright sunlight blinds them. The area around them resembles nothing like what they remembered yesterday night.

" _Whaaaat? How did they build so many tents in one night? There's at least gotta be thirty here. Well, I guess we should be happy. Killua and I got a pretty good place for our tent pitch. It's close to the center of the whole camp. But man! I have to get used to wearing a cast again."_ Gon sighs. But Killua notices Gon's gesture of despair. He places his arm onto Gon's right shoulder. Gon looks back at him, the two of them smile when their gazes meet.

The person who whistled is a relatively old man, probably in his 50s. He waits until everyone has gathered around, and began a count for the total survivors.

"...and we have 135 survivors. Which means 33 died during the plane crash. Well, you guys should get to know each better. Since you're all going to be spending some times together."

"Excuse me, sir. But how long do we have to stay here?" A girl's voice stands out of the crowd. Gon turns toward the speaker. She's a girl similar to Gon and Killua regarding age. Her long blonde hair reaches below her shoulders.

" _Wow, she's pretty."_

When she notices Gon is staring at her, she blushes and smiles awkwardly.

"Psst. Hey Gon! Don't stare! You're making it too obvious." Killua slightly nudges Gon with his arm, and whisper at him quietly.

"Huh? Oh…...hehe." After realizing his awkward behavior, Gon averts his gaze away from the girl and resumes to listen to the old man's plan.

"Now, Before I answer that. My name's Mike. You can call me that. And to answer your question, ideally, about a month."

Someone else in the crowd speaks up, "So you're saying if it's not ideal, we're going to stay here for even longer?" His tone is getting angrier as he speaks, on the rage of snapping.

However, Mike answers with perfect composure. "No. I'm saying that if it's not ideal, all of us might die before we can finish building the boat."

Murmurs begin to rise in the crowds. One of them was "What's there to worry about? There's gotta be enough food on this island to feed us for a year. We have more than one hundred people. So the chance of all of us dying is zero."

Mike also hears that statement. His face dims, and he says silently, "The place we are in right now is notorious for missing ships and planes. At least 100 planes had flown in this area in the past, but none of them came back." As soon as he finishes his sentence. Some people in the group already broke down. They burst into tears, saying, " _This is it….There's no hope anymore."_

After the meeting dismisses, the group scatters. Some volunteer to explore the other side of the island, some volunteer to build the boat, and the others go back to their sleeping places.

"Killua, you wanna go introduce ourselves to the girl in the meeting?" Gon says to Killua after the group splits up.

"Are you sure 'introduce' is the right word to describe it?" Killua smirks at Gon and pokes him. "It sounds like you're interested." Killua teases him and laughs.

"Um…..I-I'm….not….." Gon tries to sound confident, but notices Killua is staring at him with a "Oh really?" look. "Fine...Since you're my friend. I won't hide anything. So yeah. But she can just be a nice person to be with."

"But man! I never expected that you, Gon, would show interest in a girl this soon. But sure. It wouldn't hurt, right? Since we're all around the same age."

"Yea! Thanks Killua!"

The two of them runs toward her, when she notices their steps toward her, she waves her hand as a gesture of welcome.

"Hello! Can I help you?" The girl asks politely.

"Hi. We don't want anything. We're just here to make friends. You're the only other kid similar to our age here. So….might as well." Gon holds his hand up for a handshake. She accepts it and holds out her hand too.

"I'm Gon. Gon Freecss."

"My name is Stella. Nice to meet you."

"And this is my friend, Killua Zoldyck." Gon signals to Killua, who is behind him.

"Yo!" Killua waves at her when he hears his name gets mentioned, however, the girl, Stella, doesn't move a muscle.

"Zoldyck? As in the famous family of assassins?" She finally speaks up. However, there is a trace of fear in her voice.

"Yeah. But I quit. I'm not an assassin, so you don't have to worry." Killua addresses her reassuringly,

"So Stella, where are your parents?" Gon tries to get another conversation going.

"They live in a town next to Meteor City. I was going to visit them. But then this happened." She said depressingly, while gesture to everything happening around them. "What about you?"

"My dad is by himself in a city. The goal of my trip is trying to find my mother. And Killua's here to…..do what again?" Gon scratches the back of his head in confusion.

"Oh me? I'm just here to accompany Gon, that's all."

" _Gon! You're leaking too much information! I don't want to give even more things away by telling the truth."_

"Anyway, Killua and I were thinking about exploring the island a little bit; you wanna come with us?" Gon says excitedly, "You can trust us, we're both Pro-Hunters!"

"Wow. Pro hunters at this age? Well, I'm only an amateur…... I guess I'll join you guys."

The sun is now entirely over the horizon; the morning breeze sends a fresh smell and a fresh sensation through their bodies.

The three of them start to walk toward the other side of the camp. However, before they get far, someone stops them.

"Hey! You three kids, where do you think you're going? A young man yells at them from a distance and starts to run toward them.

"We're just going to explore a bit on our own."

Gon asks, confused at why he's so mad.

"Who do you think you are? You're just three kids. We don't even know what's at the other side of the island. We only send Pro-Hunters to check."

Gon looks at Killua, and the two smirks.

"Killua over here and I are Pro-Hunters!"

"Yeah right!" The man says sarcastically, " I was born at night, but not last night. If you three can just return to the main camp area I won't tell Director Mike."

" No! We're not joking! We are Pro Hunters!"

Killua says defensively.

"Oh really? Then show me your Hunter's license."

the two boys take them out of their backpacks and hand it over to the man.

"Oh…..umm…..just come with me then. When you leave camp, you have to sign out over there at that cabin." The man's voice suddenly shrinks.

Gon turns around and gives Killua a thumbs up.

The three follows the man and head over to the cabin. It's the only a half structure in the camp. When they step inside, they can tell that they didn't build the cabin, it was built before the plane crash. Because everything about the cabin is really old. The wood is deteriorating and almost on the edge of breaking.

The director, Mike, is sitting in chair behind a desk in the cabin, he looks up when the group enters.

"Hey Mike! These three kids want to go do some exploring outside of the camp. Two of them are Pro-hunters. Here's their license." He takes them out and hands them over to Mike. "Should we let them go?"

"These licenses are real…. Gon and….Killua huh? Show me your Nen."

Without hesitation, the two boys focus their aura, however, none of them uses their special ability.

" _We can't reveal our abilities to them yet. Even though they might be friendly, we can't go around and let everyone know about my Electricity and Gon's Jajanken."_

"Damn! That's some intense aura. Alright, you two can go. And to her to go, one of you have to sign a waiver. You have to take full responsibility if anything happens to her. And please return to the camp before sunset. It'll get dark and dangerous at night. And are sure you're ready? I mean, you still have a cast on your left arm."

"No worries, I'll handle it." Gon reassures, I'll also sign the waiver for Stella. Gon runs toward the desk, Killua and Stella follow him. After filling out some basic paperwork and the sign-out sheet, the three head over to the edge of the camp.

"Killua, Stella, you ready?" Gon turns around and checks on the other two.

"Yeah!"

" _Sure, it's up for me to protect them. Gon can't use his left hand, so he's going to be weak in action. We haven't seen Stella's Nen yet. But since she's an amateur, she can't be that strong. I've sworn to never betray my friends. I guess now is the time to prove myself!"_

The three steps over the boundary, and begin their journey into the unknown. Still unaware of the drastic change that this journey will cause to their lives.

Will Gon and Killua's unbreakable friendship triumph? What will they experience with the addition of Stella?


	5. Chapter 5 - Gotta x Stay x Alert

It's early morning on the first day of their stay on the island. Gon, Killua, and Stella have just begun to explore the other side of the island. Killua claims he saw a tall structure somewhere on the island, the group of three are trying to locate it.

"Killua, this reminds me of Hunter's exam... What stage was it? 3rd? Or maybe 4th? But anyway, it's the stage where we were on that island and we had to steal tags. Remember?" Gon turns around to look at Killua and asks. The group of friends is in a thick forest, with trees on both sides. They can still see the camp behind their backs.

"Now that you said it... It does seem a little bit similar…." Killua answers.

"Umm...what are you guys talking about?" Stella interrupts their conversation.

"Gon, doesn't Stella remind you of Bisky? Hahaha! When we were talking about something she didn't know, she'd send us flying! Haha! Oh...those were the good old days." Killua bursts into laughter before finishing the sentence. The two of them high-five each other.

"You guys wanna explain this Bisky person to me..?" Stella asks again, this time more impatiently.

Gon speaks up," She this girl that….wait...no…."

"You mean old hag, right?" Killua interrupts and snickers.

"Whatever. We met her while playing the game Greed Island. She taught us Nen and stuff."

"Wait, you two played the legendary game Greed Island?" Stella asks shockingly.

"Yep! And we were the ones who cleared it!" Gon continues his bragging.

Suddenly, Killua's expression darkens, he notices something/someone next to them.

"Someone's near us. Pretend to walk and talk normally." Killua suddenly whispers to his peers, "they're hostile."

"Huh?" Stella asks, confused.

"Just do as I say!"

"Yeah Killua, you're right. I can sense him too." Gon whispers back.

"You too walk up in front. I'll stay in the back to make sure he doesn't get to you guys. Gon, you can't fight because of your broken left hand."

"Why are you all of a sudden so bossy?" Stella tries to deny Killua's request, but one look at Killua is enough to make her shut her mouth and follow his orders.

Killua raises his volume; he intends to speak to the stalker. "Stop following us and show yourself!"

 _-No response-_

"You did a lousy job on hiding your presence. And if you're stalking us, you shouldn't be scared to fight us." Killua continues his verbal pursuit.

 _-No response-_

Killua whispers to the group," We can't do anything until he reveals himself. Let's just ignore him for now. However, stay alert."

The group resumes their search for the building. However, the atmosphere of the mood completely changed.

" _We can't continue the search with someone on our tail. We'll collapse because of having too much stress. Since Gon can't fight and Stella is probably useless, I'll have to use my full strength."_

The group has been walking for about two hours now; the two boys can barely feel any exhaustion. Stella, on the other hand, is already starting to sweat.

Suddenly, an arrow flies directly at Gon's head from the back. Killua uses his electricity to boost his reaction speed and catches the arrow with the nick of time.

"Woah! What was that?" Gon felt something touched his hair, when he turns around, he sees Killua holding the arrow next to him.

"Is that?... How did you catch it? I didn't even notice it."

"My Godspeed." Killua answers, however, his eyes are focused on where the arrow came from.

"Huh? Godspeed? What's that?" Stella interrupts them again.

Killua completely ignores and begins to walk toward the location of the shooter. Gon and Stella quietly follow him.

When Killua reaches within 50 feet of the shooter's range, he begins to use Rhythmic Echo, the technique where you afterimages of yourself by varying the cadence of your steps while moving at an absolute silence. It's a basic assassination technique.

As soon as Killua gets in a dangerous range, he hears a scurrying sound in the bushes and the shadow of a figure running away.

"Tsk. What a loser. He ran away as soon as he saw me." Killua returns back to the other two when he made sure that they are in the clear.

"Hey Killua, what was that thing you just used? Did you clone yourself, I saw so many copies of you." Stella is confused again; she asks Killua.

"Jeez! You just have an unlimited amount of questions, don't you? It questions after question after question. Gimme a break, will you?" Because of the tension and the responsibilities Killua shoulders, he snaps.

Stella turns around and begins to walk the other way.

"Killua, don't you think that was a little mean?" Gon tries his best to make Stella feel better. "Come on, Stella, come back." Gon walks over to Stella to console her.

"Whatever, you do you." Killua lowers his volume by a little bit. "You two go on ahead, I'll stay in the back."

" _I knew this girl was trouble in the beginning, but Gon still doesn't realize it!"_ Killua looks up at the beautiful sky. The amazing view calms him down a bit. " _Wow...it's a cloudless sky...You never know when you'll discover something wonderful… Ugh! I can't drown myself in this view."_

In front of him, Gon and Stella seem to be bantering about something, Killua's face slowly relaxes when he sees that Gon is having a good time. " _Well, Gon might be a few months older than me, but he certainly doesn't act like it...Speaking of which, since it's April, we've got a month until Gon's 14th birthday...Might have to start preparing for that..."_

-"Follow me"-

A deep voice suddenly appears from behind. Killua snaps around immediately, however, all he can see is a simple dirt trail that they are walking on and nobody else.

"Huh? Killua? What's the matter?" Gon noticed Killua's sudden movement, he turns around and checks if anything's wrong.

"I could've sworn that I…. nevermind." " _I shouldn't be worrying them about this. I can handle this by myself."_

"Huh? Don't get yourself too tensed up Killua, you're worrying over nothing." Gon decides to ignore him; Gon continues walking in front with Stella.

" _Am I imagining all of this up? But what about that arrow though? That was real, for sure...or was it? That could've been a Nen arrow. But when I caught it, the texture of it felt concrete though...Ahhhh! I'm so confuzzled!"_ Killua scratches the back of his head in despair.  
" _I can't figure anything out."_

-"Follow me"-

It's the same voice. However, this time, it's to their left.

"Killua, was that you?" Gon turns around, this time, he heard it too.

"No! That was the same voice that made me turn around last time!"

"So it was real...It said to follow him….Hey! How can we follow you if we don't even know where you are?" Gon raises his volume in the later part of his sentence. He's speaking to the stalker.

 _-No response-_

" _Damn. If I'm here by myself, I can locate the castle in no time with my Godspeed. And now I dragged myself into this deep hole by being with Gon and this girl."_

"Should we follow him?" Gon walks over to Killua and whispers to his ear.

"No of course not! What are you thinking? Stupid!" Killua yells at him.

"Okay! Jeez! You don't have to bite my head off!"

Gon leaves him and runs up to Stella again, leaving Killua by himself.

" _Gon. How can you not see what I'm doing? I'm trying to protect you. I'm doing this because I need you. But this isn't the Gon that I know. The Gon in my head is always optimistic, cheerful, simple and straightforward. What happened to you, Gon? Is this solely because of this girl?"_

-"Gon, follow me, I know the details about the thing that you want"-

It's the same voice. This time, the location of it is their right.

Gon turns around; he opens his mouth to say something. However, Killua is shaking his head trying to make Gon stop.

" _Gon! Stop whatever you're about to do! Don't say a single word!"_

Despite Killua's effort, it doesn't stop him.

"Okay! If you know about what I want, what do I want then?" Gon asks.

Killua hopes he would say something like " _Friendship with Killua."_ Or something like that. Because that can make Gon snap out of his current self. However,

-"I know about your mother."-


	6. Chapter 6 - Never x Betray x A Friend

**Chapter 6 - Never x Betray x A Friend**

Gon immediately dashes off to the location of the voice after hearing those words.

"No Gon! It's too dangerous!" Killua yells behind him. However, even Killua himself know that once Gon makes up his mind, he's going to go along with it no matter what.

Stella remains standing in front, her mouth wide open, too shocked to move or do anything.

"Help! Ahhh!" Somewhere in the forest, Gon screams.

"Gon!" After recovering, Killua realizes that Gon's in danger. He dashes after him.

" _Godspeed! On!"_ On the instant, he shrouds himself in an aura of electricity. His silver spikes up, and he pursues Gon at an incredible speed.

However, even that isn't enough to save Gon. After making his over to the place where Gon screamed. Nothing is in sight.

Damn! Where did they go?!" Killua groans in frustration.

" _They might have already left, but they did leave traces. For example, their footprints."_

Killua notices them on the ground. He is just about to go after the kidnappers. However, he realizes something.

" _They probably want me to follow them. They have a trape planned out for me. I can't act hastily. Gon! Come on! Why do you have to be so selfish! And I let Stella saw my Godspeed. But the least of my worries right now."_

Killua makes his way back to Stella, " _Godspeed, off!"_

He shows up as his normal self. When he enters Stella view, she stares at him for a whole minute.

"What are you looking at?" Killua snaps.

"Oh...What happened to you when you sprinted off. Was that the "Godspeed" that Gon mentioned.?"

Killua sighs. "Yeah."

"And I assume you weren't able to find him?" Stella asks again.

"If that stressful situation weren't enough, your barrage of questions would have made me collapse. Now let me get something straight. Are you going to find him with me?"

" _Whether to treat her as an ally or as a stranger, all depends all her answer."_

"Sure, I don't anything to do on this island, so I'll help," Stella answers with an indifferent tone.

"Okay. The kidnappers left a trail of footprints; we can track that to get to their location. But they are Nen users, even though their Zetsu was pretty lousy. They were able to hide their presence for a good amount of time until they got close to us. The question is, do you know Nen?"

Killua asks Stella. He can see the clouded expression on her face.

 _Something's up._

"You better tell me the truth because the life of my best friend is at stake!" Killua yells.

"How is he your best friend? You guys had fought the entire time! And you ignored each other!"

"We've done so many things for each other in the past; just some bickering right now can't even get close to wiping our friendship!"

"If I were you, I'd ditch him right now and run away! Go look for a new friend who cares about your feelings!"

"And that's why you're a bad friend, a bad person! Just going around and ditching everyone! You'll never understand what friendship truly means and what it means to be someone's dear friend!" Tears are beginning to slip through Killua's eyes. He is certainly emotionally weak when it comes to the topic of "Friendship. "I swore that I would never, never in my whole life, betray a friend. But if I ignore a friend I can help, wouldn't I be betraying them?"

"I see….So I don't understand." Stella finally manages to squeak out some words. However, even she is shocked at Killua's dedication to Gon. "I apologize for my inappropriate language and behavior. Your strong desire wanting to save your friend has moved me. So...can I come with you?" " _Ha! Idiot! I wouldn't be risking my life for someone I barely even know. The real reason I want to go with you is that I heard that there is a rare gemstone on this island. So we might be able to find it on our way. But If I tell him that, there's no way he'll let me go with him. I'm playing it out nice and smoothly."_

"Hello? Stop blanking out." Killua waves his hand in front Stella's face to clear her up.

"Oh..umm… n-nothing." Stella panics when Killua interrupts her thinking on her "plan."

"I didn't ask you anything….. but… back to my original question, do you know Nen?"

" _She's hiding something. But I don't think she's going to be a threat though. She'll probably just get in my way."_

"What's Nen?" Stella asks.

"You've never even heard about it?"

"No..what is it?"

"Well, TL;DR, you surround yourself with energy and you are able perform tasks that are impossible to do if you were in your normal state.

"Lemme guesses, your Godspeed is an example of that, right?"

Killua nods in confirmation.

"So should we head back t the camp and report Gon as missing?" Stella asks.

"Not. This lower the number of people aware of this, the better. We don't want to send everyone into a panic."

Somewhere in the distance, lightning strikes. The sky gets even dimmer. Soon after that, rain comes pouring down. Killua and Stella are sitting under a tree waiting for the rain to clear up.

"This is going to take too long. The rains show no signs of stopping. If we wait longer, who knows what's going to happen to Gon." Killua speaks up.

Suddenly, Killua's phone in his pocket rings.

"Huh? Who's this. An unknown number?" He answers it. "Hello?"

"I want you to go to place where we kidnapped your friend. Go there tonight at 11. If you want your friend 'Gon' back, you better bring something worth trading for." It's the deep voice of the stalker.

"How do you know my number?" Killua asks.

"Pretty easy. Just went through your friend's contact history."

"Is Gon safe?"

"He currently is, but probably not for long though. Hahaha!"

"Put him on the phone!" Killua yells.

"Sorry kid, but in no position to make demands here."

"I just want to hear him say one word to make sure...hello? Hello?" He looks at his phone to see what's wrong, "Damn! He cut me off!"

"Well, that didn't go smoothly at all." Says Stella.

"We're way too pass passive in this situation. They can do whatever they want to us. Gon can already be dead by now for all we know!"

Killua groans in frustration. He turns around to punch the tree to release some of his pent-up energy. However, the punch breaks the tree in half.

"Oh… let's just move over there then." Killua signals to another big tree with thick leaves. The two walk over there.

"We can't listen to them and follow their orders. We're going to follow their footsteps and infiltrate their base."

"Are you crazy? We can never win against those guys. They have than people than us!"

Stella objects Killua's plan.

"It's the only way! If we meet up with the at 11 tonight, do you think we'll stand s better chance?! No! We'll be worse! They could've already set up an ambush!"

Stella falls silent and speaks up a minute later. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Good, I'm glad you agree with me. Now let's get moving!"

"Now?! In the rain?"

"If we don't go now and surprise them, it'll be too late. And, we'll probably end up in a fight against them anyways. So getting wet won't matter. Let's go!"

Killua and Stella make their way over to the beginning of the trail of footsteps and begin to follow.

"Killua, why don't you just use your Godspeed and carry me." Says Stella and then laughs.

"Ugh! Disgusting. Two reasons. Number 1, it takes too much energy. So I can't use it just on walking. Number two, the only two people I have a piggy back ride to is Gon and my little sister Alluka. And I doubt you're going to make it onto that list.

The two of them continue to follow the footsteps. They lead them deeper and deeper into the forest. They continue their trip for another hour until a huge tower stands before them.

The tower is made out of stone, with vines climbing all over the outer wall.

" _Jeez! This tower at least has to be 300 feet tall! And there's a huge clock on the top. Why couldn't we see it from the camp?"_

Killua and Stella now stand before the entrance of the huge tower. The inside of the tower is completely dark.

"Let's go!"

Killua and Stella step inside the dark, creepy tower. Is Gon still alive? Will they successfully save him? What will they encounter next?


	7. Chapter 7 -Meaning x Of x Friendship

**Chapter 7 - The Meaning x Of x Friendship**

"Damn! This whole place is so dark and quiet." Killua groans at the uncomfortableness in the surrounding air. He closes his eyes to sense any possible lurking enemies near them. However, he doesn't feel any possible threats around. "This thing has to be at least thirty stories tall! How are we supposed to find Gon in this building! And since we're stepping on the solid floor now, there are no footprints anymore."

"Do you have any bright ideas?" He turns around to ask Stella. However, as soon as Killua sees her pale face, he knows that she won't be helping.

" _I was not expecting this place to be this creepy when I came in. Well, I should be the same when I'm with Killua. But as soon as I find that gemstone, I'll make a run for it. There's no way I'm staying here!"_

"Alright, Stella. We're going to check every single floor until we get to the right one. We're using the stairs."

"Alright, you're the boss."

They begin by walking up to the second floor when they push open the main door,

"Nope, not here."

"Jeez! They're not here either! We're already on the 20th floor, and the results have been the same every time! Are they really on the top floor?"

The two of them have made their way up to the 20th floor already. But so far, luck doesn't seem to be on their side.

"Well, I guess we gotta keep going!"

Killua and stella now stand before the door to the top-most floor, the 32nd floor.

"Please!" Killua pushes open the door…..and….

"Oh Come on! They're not here either?!" Killua moans in despair.

"Where else can they be right now? We've checked the entire building!" Stella also starts to complain with Killua.

" _And the worst thing is, I do not see any gemstones or whatever. Is it all a rumor?"_

The two of them run toward the map of the building which is located on the main door of every floor.

"Oh. There's one place we didn't check yet…." Stella notices it first, however,

"The basement!" Killua finishes the sentence for her. "Looks like we have some more running to do!"

"Great! I just love running in the dark when you can't see a thing!" Stella says sarcastically.

"Stella stop!" Killua whispers and reaches out a hand to grab her.

"Huh? What's the matter?"

'Stop running. We're already on the second floor. We have to make it down there carefully and quietly, without them noticing. Running is too loud." Killua explains.

"Oh! Right."

Killua begins to devise plan before they reach the basement. However, his brain is too tensed up to think of anything legit.

When they get to the basement door, they can already hear voices coming from inside.

" _There seem to be about four or five people in there. I can tell from their voices."_ Killua whispers lightly, "Stella. I want you to open the door when I tell you too. And when you do, just try to get out of my way. See, Gon likes you, so I don't want to make him mad by hurting you."

"Whatever. Just gimme the signal."

Killua takes a step back, " _Godspeed, on!"_ Electricity surrounds his body again. He gives Stella a thumb up, she follows his signal and opens the door. As soon as that happens, Killua dashes straight inside the room.

There are a total of five people in the room, four kidnappers and Gon. Gon is tied up in the back of the room.

"Killua and Stella." Gon lightly whispers.

Killua's worried face relaxes by a little bit when he sees that Gon is still alive. Killua then turns his attention to the other four.

" _I've never tried this, but what would happen if I combined rhythmic echo and Godspeed? Well, time to find out!"_

The results turn out to the expected. All of his "echoes" are also able to move at the insane speed.

 _I've swore to never take another person' life anymore..However, what you four are doing can be an exception!"_

Killua leaps toward one of the four kidnappers; his movement was so fast that from the enemy's' perspective it looks like he simply disappeared.

"Huh? Where did he….?" The man tries to ask, however, before he had the chance to finish, Killua's "knife sharp" fingers already pierced through his heart.

"Too late," Killua says coldly.

After finishing up one of the four, Killua jumps back into the clear to try and tries to find another opening and re-engage on the three left.

"Alright kid, if you make another move, I'll kill your friend over here. One of the kidnappers places a knife right next to Gon's throat.

Without hesitation, however, Killua slices through him, splitting his body cleanly in half from the waist. The blood dyes Killua's shirt bright red. "Tsk...So fragile."

"Don't get too cocky, you little brat!" One of them says. The two them jumps on Killua from front and back.

"You're too slow."

However, just when Killua finishes saying that his "Godspeed" has reached its transformation limit, he loses the effect and turns back to normal. As a result, his reaction time decreases dramatically, and he isn't able to dodge their attacks from both directions.

" _Damn! Why does this have to run out at the worst possible time!"_

The two kidnappers are able to get on Killua and ties him up. Killua looks back at their only remaining hope, Stella, who is still standing at the door by herself. However, different from before, she holds a shiny Gemstone this time.

"Stella! Can't you do something?" Killua asks in pain.

"Ha! I got what I came for." She waves the gemstone at him. "Did you seriously think I would help two kid whom I barely even knew with my life? Don't be stupid. Well, I guess it's all too late for you know. So long, suckers!" She turns around and tries to leave. However, one of the kidnappers tosses a knife straight for her head. If it is Gon or Killua, they would have dodged it with ease. However, since her head was turned the other way, it pieces through her skull.

"Alright, now we got the useless one out of the way, it's time for you two." The man walks over to Stella's corpse, and pulls the knife out of her head.

"Killua...I'm sorry that I dragged you into this…" Gon says weakly.

"What are you saying, Gon? Sacrificing yourself for a dear friend, didn't you do that multiple times before for me?"

"Alright, you two need to shut up." The kidnapper with the knife walks back to Killua and stabs him right in the body with it.

"Ugh….!" Killua groans at the pain. Blood spilling, life fading away.

"Yeah, you kill me. But, please don't hurt Gon." Killua manages this with his last strengths.

"Killua, what are you….? No! Don't! Stop! Stop hurting my friend!" Gon finally can no longer watch the atrocity in front of his eyes — the chains restricting his snaps. He forgets everything else but revenge. He dashes toward them, and, with his other uninjured fist, he,

"First comes Rock…..Rock, Paper…... Rock!" Powered by hatred and love, the ability packs an incredibly powerful punch.

That's the last thing Killua remembers before blacking out.

"Huh? Where am I?" Killua wakes up, confused.

"Oh Killua, you're awake?" Gon says.

"Gon, how long was I out for?"

"Not long, about six hours."

"And you stayed here with me the entire time?"

"Yep! I was worried about you, I didn't know if you were going to recover or not."

The two of them are leaning against the wall in the same room that they were in before. Only right now, there are two more dead bodies on the ground.

"I'm guessing you took care of them with that Jajanken," Killua says.

"Yeah."

Gon scans the whole room with his eyes; he suddenly stops when he sees Stella's body.

"Listen, Gon, I'm sorry about Stella. But to be honest, she was about to betray us and run away."

"What was I thinking? Thinking that I could just befriend her and…..y'know when I was tied up in here before you came, I had hopes that she would come here and save me herself. Since we kinda fought earlier." Gon's voice drops. "When she said that cruel line of hers when she tried to leave, it made me realize that the one I needed the most, was you."

"Gon…." Killua doesn't know what to say. He whispers the name of the boy next to him.

"Even after getting into that fight with me, you didn't leave me behind; you were still the one who came for me and saved me. But for Stella, she didn't get in any fights against me, but she still ditched me when it mattered."

The two of them stand up and walk up the stairs onto the first floor. Then they head outside, back to the camp even though Killua can still feel the sting of the knife wound in his body. He's experienced pain many times before he can endure it.

"Killua, I'm really glad that I got to know you as a friend! Because even though you never say it, but I can tell, from your acts, that you value our friendship. So...Thank you!"


	8. Chapter 8 - Reason x To x Believe

**Chapter 8 - Reason x To x Believe**

The two boys get back to their tent. Just before reaching their there, they stop. The two of them sit down on the grass. The cool evening wind breezes past them.

"The night sky is just so pretty, isn't it?" Gon says. The two of them look up at the heavens in awe. "Friends are just like these stars. You can't see them at daytime, but you know they're there, for you. And at night, when you need them, they'll show up to support you."

Gon picks up a white flower and places it in Killua's hand.

"What? It's just a flower." Says Killua.

"They remind me of you. They're soft, pretty and always wanting to fall when there is no support for them."

"Hey! I'm not pretty! And look at me, I'm a mess right now." Killua snaps but then hesitates.

"Your clothes might be unsightly to look at, but to you and me, it's proof for your willingness to sacrifice yourself for me. The blood can be washed off, but our friendship and bond can't."

"Gon, I have a dark side... Y'know…."

"Well, the flower isn't as luck as you." Gon calmly approaches Killua's face,

"W-wait! What are you..?!" Killua tries to stop him, but perhaps it's resignation, perhaps it's joy, or perhaps it's his own will, he doesn't.

Gon brings his face next to Killua's. They're at a distance close enough to feel each other's warmth. Then, Gon softly kisses Killua on the cheek. Their faces slowly relax,

"Hey...w-wait...what?" Still not understanding what is happening, Killua is at a lost for words.

"Whenever you're about to fall. You just say it, and I'll be one of your stars, I'll be there to catch you." Says Gon, reassuringly.

Killua remains silent. However, tears begin to well up in his eyes. And he begins to sob lightly. He doesn't even try to hide it. "G-Gon….you're…..j-just…..amazing….both as a person a-and as an f-friend… I'm r-really happy that I-I got to know y-you…" This is the first time, in his life, Killua states his feeling for Gon out loud, and directly to Gon himself.

"You don't have to thank me; we're friends. And friends to things like this for each other!"

Gon lies down onto the grass. However, Killua says, "here, don't sleep on the ground, it's wet. Lie on my lap. It's more comfy."

Even though there still are blood stains on Killua's shirt, Gon doesn't care. Gon smiles at Killua's offer, and slowly put his head on Killua's lap. His hands clutch onto Killua's shirt, not letting go. After a minute, Gon falls asleep. Killua looks at Gon's childish behavior and smiles, while gently stroking his hair. He sometimes he even playfully taps Gon's eyelids, still reminiscing the sensation of Gon's kiss on his cheek.

" _Gon, you're the first person in the whole world that treated me as a real person, not a 'Zoldyck assassin.' You're also the person in the whole world who taught me to never betray a friend. You matter to me the most; I value you over everything."_

If people believe in something, they'll have the power to repel anything and everything away.

For Killua, right now, he believes in Gon. No evil and no pain can touch him. Killua is not an assassin, not a weapon, and not someone's tool for murder. No, not for one night - All he wants to be is someone's dear friend.

-And that is something he is good at.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Journey x Back

**Chapter 9 - The x Journey x Back**

The days of Gon's and Killua's stay on the deserted island is dwindling and shrinking. Nothing out of the ordinary happens during that remaining time. And finally, after a month of waiting, they step foot onto the escape boat, along with the 100 other passengers. They decide to sail in the NorthEast direction. Hoping that they'll reach land soon.

The boat that they are on is by no means big. All 102 of the passengers have to squeeze themselves in order for all of them to fit. If you are in the middle of the group, then you are ot of luck when it comes to using the bathroom. The boat has two levels. The first level is where passengers take turns on rowing to propel the boat. The level above that is where all of the other passengers stay.

"Killua, I feel like taking a dip in the ocean." Says Gon.

"Killua dips his feet into the water, "Jesus Chris! It's soooo cold!" He screams.

"Hey! You kids! What are you doing on this level? Get out of here!" A man behind them yells at them. He's one of the people rowing the boat.

"Aw c'mon Josh. They're only kids. Just let'm be. They're not doing anything bad."

Gon shoots them with a thumbs up and smiles. "Yeah, we can stay here, right? And plus. It's way too crowded up there." Gon says.

"Hey. Do any of you guys have a charger of some sort?" Killua asks.

"Ye' I have my portable phone charger. Why?" The man, Josh, answers.

"Ah! Perfect, can I use it?"

"What are you going to do? Charge your phones to play games? I don't think so."

"Ah, don't worry pops. I'm not going to do that."

"Whatever, here." Josh tosses the charge to Killua. After catching it, Killua places the end of the charger to his hand.

"Yo kid! Don't do that! You'll shock yourself!" Josh yells at him.

"I told you, don't worry." Killua presses "on" and in the next instant, he feels electricity going through his body. After five seconds, he presses the "off" button.

"Umm...Killua? What…." Gon is also confused at what Killua is doing.

Killua lightly whispers, "Charging my Godspeed."

"Oh ok."

"Yo kid! How'd you to that? How did you survive that as nothing happened?"

Josh asks.

" _I shouldn't tell him about Godspeed, but I can't hide too many things or he'll know something's up."_

"I went through torture training when I was younger. I'm used to it."

"Jeez! What did you go through?"

Killua's voice grows darker. "Nothing much...Just family business."

"Land Ho!" Someone on the deck yells. The whole crowd starts to cheer in joy.

Finally, after spending two days on the water, the group has finally made their way back to the mainland. The orange sunset shines on the crowd of ecstatic passengers.

"What country is that?" Someone asks on the top deck.

The city that they are about to enter is very urban. Even though they're not there yet, Gon and Killua can already see the silhouette of a ridiculously tall building. They both say at the exact same time, "The Heavens Arena!"

After the boat successfully parks into the City Harbor, the group scatters.

"Alright! Killua! What do you want to do now?" Gon asks.

"Why are you asking me? You're usually the one good with plans for the future."

"Well, we can't go back to the Heavens Arena now, because you withdrew from the competition twice…." Gon hesitates.

"Soooo…" Killua continues Gon's sentence for him.

"I've been thinking. My trip to find my real mom is pointless. I think just thinking about finding her will be betraying Aunt Mito (Mito-san)."

"What are you trying to say?" Killua asks.

"Aunt Mito's the one who raised me. So thinking about someone to replace her wouldn't be right."

"Yeah, you got a point there." Killua agrees.

"Do you want to just take a break from everything, and just live in peace for some time? We'll be together, just ourselves." Gon proposes.

Killua hesitates, his eyes are so peaceful, yet, they're wavering.

As if understanding the mood, Gon says, "That is, of course, if you want to come with me."

Killua stays silent for two whole minutes. Gon has no idea what's going through his head. He has no idea that Killua is flashing back to all of the memories that they shared together.

"Killua, are you ok? What's wrong?" Gon asks, concerned.

"I can never ask for a better friend." Killua thinks, however, he doesn't realize that he's actually saying them out loud.

"Huh?" Gon didn't hear what he just said.

"Oh….um...nothing." A little embarrassed, Killua decides to hold his thoughts in.

" _The day will come, the day when I'll be able to pour out every single droplet of my feelings to Gon. I promise, it will."_

"So where're we going now?" Killua turns the conversation to its original topic.

"Well, that depends on if you are willing to be with me."

"Of course! Gon, you need me! You can be so open-minded and simple sometimes you'll forget everything!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."Gon agrees.

"Alright chief! Where are we going?"

"I want to go back to Whale Island and just relax there for a while. You'know, we'd wake up every day and dive straight into the woods. We can even build a shack ourselves in the woods and sleep there!" Gon says, "Oh! I'm already excited just from thinking about it!"

"Yeah! Doesn't sound that bad...Alright! Let's go!"

"Let's book the airship tickets!"

The two friends run to the nearest Internet Cafe to book their tickets.

"Oh! Make sure to buy first class!"

"Yup!"

" _Gon, I was lying. You don't need me. I'm the one who needs you."_

"So I'm going to buy tickets for tomorrow afternoon's flight. It departs at six, should arrive at Whale Island in early next morning at around five….Wait...how do I confirm purchase again?"

Killua asks.

"I don't know? You're the tech guy, don't ask me."

"Oh here it is….Mmmm….now I need money….Gon, can I borrow some money from your credit card to pay for our tickets, I'll pay you back mine later."

"No!" Gon yells.

"Huh?" Killua, looks up from the computer screen, "What do you mean?"

"You can buy the tickets with my money! But you will not pay me back!"

"Oh, you're stuck on that part. But I can't just use your money and not pay you back, can I?"

"Yes you can! When I'm doing a favor for my best friend, I never ask for anything in return! And it's not even a favor since I'm going with you."

"Okay, okay. Chill out bro!" Killua, surprised at Gon's determination, accepts it.

Gon takes his credit card out of his wallet and gives it to Killua. After entering the information, and printing out their tickets, the two leaves the Internet Cafe.

"Alright! Now we need to find a hotel for us to stay for the night."

"Ooh! There's a hotel over there, down that street." Says Gon.

"What? Where?"

"Can you see it? It's pretty far away."

Killua strains his eyes to see the hardest, "Nope, still can't see it.

"Well, its outside looks pretty worn out, probably not a good one anyway."

Killua turns around to check the other way, "Oh Gon."

"Yeah?"

"There's a good hotel legit right next to us."

"Where?"

Killua taps him on his shoulder, "Turn around, dummy!"

"Oh. Well, we were stupid." The hotel is literally right next to the Internet Cafe that they were in.

The two enter through its main doors. Right, when they step foot into its lobby they are being warmly greeted with a receptionist.

"Good evening, Sirs. Welcome to 'Hotel de Grande'. Do you have a reservation?"

" _This hotel is pretty grand. All of the golden walls and paintings...Very nice!"_ Thinks Gon.

"Ehh...this 'sir' thing is making me uncomfortable." Gon complains.

"Yea, me too."

"Ok. Where are your parents?" The receptionist lady asks.

"We don't have any." Killua says immediately. " _I'm not in the mood to explain everything to her. I bet it's the same thing for Gon. So I said that in order to make things simpler."_

"Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. Are you two brothers? No, right?" She asks again.

"No, we're just friends."

"Alright. How many nights do you plan to stay here?"

"Only one."

"And what type of rooms do you two want?"

"A regular room with two beds. That's it." Killua says.

"Alright! Can I have your credit card for a second?"

"Why..?" Gon is just about to ask why do they need to give her the credit card because Gon isn't familiar with the general procedures, Killua stops him in time though.

"Ok." Gon gives Killua the card, and he gives it to the receptionist.

"Okay! Here are your two keys. And all of your belongings. You'll be on the fourth floor. Elevators are this way to your left."

"We can still get dinner at your restaurant, right? Like is it too late?" Killua asks.

"It's 10:30 right now, dinner ends at 11:30. You'll have to speed things through, but they'll let you stay a little bit later if you're not finished."

"Alright. Thanks!"

"Bye!"

Gon follows Killua into their room on the fourth floor. On their way there, Killua realizes that they totally forgot their bags on the deserted island.

"Gon! We for forgot our bags! Ahhh!"

"Oh. Where are they?" Gon asks.

"On that stupid island!"

"Oh well, nothing you can do about that. Luckily my wallet was in my bag though."

"What?! You're not worried by the fact we basically don't have anything on us?"

"I have my credit card and my Hunter's license. And you have your license in your pocket as well. That's all the important stuff."

"True." Killua agrees.

"See? Now stop worrying about it and enjoy ourselves! We're going to be on vacation for the next couple of months.

They arrive in front of their room. When Killua inserts the key and opens the door, they're surprised at how nice a "simple room" is.  
"Woah! The outer wall is completely made out of glass! We can get a perfect view of the city! We can enjoy a nice night view of the city in our beds since they're facing the glass window. Yo! This is actually so cool!" Killua exclaims!

"Yeah! I love it!" Gon joins Killua celebration.

"But first things first, we can't celebrate with an empty stomach, can we?" Killua smirks.

"Hehe, you're right. Let's go fill up!"

The two of them head back down to the lobby and enjoy a big nice dinner.


	10. Chapter 10 - A x Surprising x Call

**Chapter 10 - A x Surprising x Call**

"Ah! I'm full! My dad is probably going to receive a fat bill on his credit card tonight… But he said he doesn't care."

"Yeah! The food is really good though." Killua agrees.

The two boys have just finished their dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. They're the only ones left in the restaurant.

"Excuse me, Sir. Here's your receipt." Says the waiter.

"I don't want to see it. It's going to make me feel worse if I know the actual price. Just charge that into our hotel room."

"Alright. You two are good to go." The waiter waves them goodbye. Gon and Killua depart for their room.

Five minutes later, the two are on the fourth floor, in their room. The size of the room is around twenty yards by twenty yards. There are two queen-size beds. A table, two chairs, a TV, and of course, a bathroom.

"Killua, you wanna shower first?" Gon asks.

"Nah, I'll sit in my bed and watch TV. Oh Gon, what bed do you want?"

"I don't care, you pick." Gon closes the bathroom door. And Killua turns on the TV.

" _Man! Look at this view! We're at the perfect height to see above the trees. Ah this is perfect!"_

Killua snuggles in his bed. "Hmmm, let's see what are some of the TV channels….Gungi tournament, Boring!...Go tournament, Boring...What? You have to pay money to unlock the Anime channel! Pfft….what is this garbage!" Killua tosses the remote across the room.

Suddenly, his phone rings.  
"Huh? Who could've possibly called at midnight?" He takes his phone out of his pocket.

"Illumi? My older brother? What does he want again!?" Killua groans, but he answers anyway.

"Yeah?"

"Ah Kil, how are you?" Illumi asks.

"Umm….I'm fine...What made you ask?"

"Nothing. Anyway, I have a job for you. Well, technically Dad has a job for you."

"Is it to murder people again?" Killua asks, annoyed.

"What else could it be? But listen, he said if you are able to complete this task, he'll never ask anything of you again. He promised."

"I do believe in his promises. But who does he want me to kill?"

" _If what they said is true. I'll only have to kill one more time, then I can finally leave murdering behind and live a normal life with Gon. In the long run, it's definitely worth it!"_

"Before I get to that, do you remember Gon? The kid that you met in the Hunter's Exam. Wasn't he your best friend or something?" Illumi asks.

" _Yeah, that's right. They don't know that I met up with Gon on this trip! I play this one out and see how it goes."_

Killua answers, "Yeah, I remember him."

"Well, the target of your job is exactly him, Gon Freecss."

" _-hk!"_

Killua cannot believe his ears. His head starts to spin.

" _Is this really happening? Do I have to kill my best friend? The person who I sacrificed everything for. I have to kill him? No way...no way…..no way."_

"Kil, are you there?" Illumi asks.

"Y-yeah" Killua answers feebly. With barely enough strength to make his mouth move."W-who, placed the order to kill Gon?"

"His own father, Ging Freecss."

That last sentence pushes Killua's limit over the edge. He's starting to feel dizzy.

"What happens if I don't kill him?" Killua asks.

"Then you will be expelled from the Zoldyck family."

" _I certainly need more time to think about this. Gon should be finishing up his shower any minute now, I'll have to get some more information out of Illumi and go from there."_

"Illumi, when do you want me to kill him by?" Killua asks.

"Dad didn't mention a deadline, but probably the sooner, the better. Why do you ask? How long do you need?"

"Two to three weeks."

Gon turns the shower off inside the bathroom, Killua knows his time is up.

"Alright, Illumi. I gotta go. But I'll certainly call you if I need some more information."

"Oh and by the way, it turns out that I was right about you betraying your friend." Says Illumi.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Killua asks.

"Even though you guys haven't met in over a year, he's still your friend, right? And you're going to betray him by murdering him…Anyway, good luck!" Illumi hangs up the call.

" _Who said I'm going to kill him? I did swear to never betray my friend, but I never said I won't betray my family."_

"Killua! I'm done! You can shower now!" Gon yells in the bathroom.

"Oh! Okay!" Killua gets up from his bed, "We don't even have our pajamas! What are we supposed to wear when we sleep?"

"I just wore my regular clothes. It's only for one night." Gon walks toward Killua, when the two boys pass each other Killua stops and looks at Gon with a long, meaningful gaze.

" _Gon, give me reasons to believe that spending my life with you is better than spending life as a 'Zoldyck Assassin."_

"Killua, what's wrong?" Gon asks, concerned.

Killua fakes a smile in return, "Oh, nothing… I'm going to shower now."

"MMm, okay."

Killua walks over to the bathroom and closes the door.

" _Sigh…..do I tell Gon about this?_

 _-No, definitely not. I don't want to give any reason that can potentially destroy our friendship."_

He steps into the shower and turns the water on.

" _Am I going to do it?"_ Killua asks himself. _Tsk! What am I thinking? There's no way I'll kill Gon. I just can't do it...So does that mean I'm not a Zoldyck anymore?..But right now, that's the least of my worries."_

" _Do I want a happy and peaceful life with Gon, and never see my family again. Or do I want a life with my family, a life full of murder and blood-shed?_

" _Let's leave that topic aside for a second. Why would Gon's own father want his son to die though? Ging did set up a lot of difficult tasks that Gon and I had to complete before finding him. But isn't ordering Gon's death a little bit excessive?"_

… _._

"Killua! Are you done? You're taking a really long time." Gon yells at him.  
Killua quickly steps out of the shower, dries himself, and puts his clothes back on.

He opens the bathroom door and gets back into his bed, which is the one on the left-hand side.

Meanwhile, Gon is watching a chess tournament on TV.

"Gon, I have a question. Please answer me sincerely."

"Okay." Gon turns around and looks at Killlua. However, Killua's serious yet painful expression makes Gon worry.

"If you have to choose between your family or me, what would you choose?" Killua asks, "Well, it's probably different in your case because your Dad actually cares about you."

"No, it wouldn't matter. Killua, I'd choose you in a heartbeat." Gon says with an incredible amount of determination.

Tears begin to slip out of Killua's eyes. "W-why? How? Why would you choose me over your family? How are you able to answer with such little difficulty?"

Gon turns off the TV and turns around to face Killua. "Killua, I don't know what happened to you, but you've changed. I know it would be mean and insincere of me to say 'I understand everything', so I'm not going to… But I do know, that the Killua I used to know would also choose me over his family. Would always place me before everything else. And wanting to sacrifice himself to save his friend." Gon hesitates, but then speaks up again, "Killua, that's what you've been doing, isn't it?"

"Gon…" Killua becomes speechless, all he can do right now is to mutter the name of the boy sitting in front of him.

"Killua, think about it, have you ever wanted to sacrifice yourself for your mother?" Gon asks.

"No.."

"How about your father?"

"No."

"Your siblings?"

"No."

"Killua, you've been doing it the whole time, you just haven't said it yet."

" _Gon, you're a beacon in my life. Always pointing out the right path for me."_ The two boys get into their beds and prepare for the night. While lying on his bed, Killua thinks," _Yes, that's the reason. Gon was there every time I needed help. He's my watchtower. But my family never did that. That's why... I'm going to choose my friend over my family."_


	11. Chapter 11 - About x To x Depart

**Chapter 11 - About x To x Depart**

" _Even though you guys haven't met in over a year, he's still your friend, right? And you're going to betray him by murdering him."_

" _But I do know, that the Killua I used to know would also choose me over his family. Would always place me before everything else. And wanting to sacrifice himself to save his friend."_

When Killua is sleeping, these are the two lines that come up in his mind. His troubled expression demonstrates his frustration.

" _What did my family even do to help me?" Killua thinks. "Nothing! They've done nothing to me besides torturing me and putting me in stupid training! So why do I care if they kick me out of the family? Who wants to be stuck in that gloomy family estate all day.?! Sure, you can kick me out! You'll be doing me a favor!"_

Before they know it, the sunlight pierces through the shades of the glass wall. Gon wakes up first. He looks to his left, and sees Killua tossing and turning in his sleep.

" _Man! What happened to Killua? He seems different ever since last night. But I was with him the whole time though."_ Gon looks at the clock, " _Mmm, it's nine thirty right now. I'll go wash up and let him sleep longer."_

Gon silently makes his way to the bathroom, and finishes everything up without a sound.

He groans at the stickiness of his clothes because they were wearing the same clothing for four days straight now. When he leaves the bathroom to wake Killua up, he realizes that Killua is already awake. He's sitting on his bed, gazing into a distant part of the city.

"Killua! Good morning!" Says Gon, excitedly.

"Yeah! Hi."

"What's wrong, Killua?"

"Nothing...Just had a bad dream."

"You certainly don't look ok. If you're willing to tell me, I'll always listen to you."

" _Gon, it's not I don't trust you, it's because even I don't understand what's going on."_

"It's...something about my family, I don't want to talk about it." Killua technically isn't lying, however, he's not telling the truth either.

"Oh. ok. If you don't want to, I won't force you to. Anyway, I'm ready to go, you can go wash up and get ready to leave."

" _Thank you, Gon. You understood that I really didn't want to talk about it, so you let it slide."_

Killua gets up from his bed and goes into the bathroom. Ten minutes later the two boys are downstairs in the dining area.

"Yo Killua! Look at this buffet! They have these western food as well!" Gon screams with joy.

"Yeah, they look nice." Killua agrees, but with much less enthusiasm.

Gon grabs a full plate of food, but Killua's plate is almost empty.

"C'mon Killua, are you seriously only going to eat one bowl of cereal? That's it?"

"Yeah, I don't really have an appetite right now."

Gon pouts in disapproval but goes back to eating his food.

"So Killua, what our plan for today?" Gon asks.

"Huh? Oh...since your airship takes off at six in the evening, we should leave for the airport at three." Killua pauses to check his watch, "We've got about five hours of free time, what do you want to do?"

"Well, we can go visit Mr. Wing (Wing-san) and Zushi." Gon proposes.

"As much as I would love to go, it would take way longer than five hours for us to get back together. And we don't even know if they're here. I mean, the last time we met was more than a year ago."

"Yeah, you're right...wait! Where did my phone go!?" Says Gon.

"It's not on the table, are you sure they're not in your pockets?"

Gon turns his pockets inside-out to prove it.

"Someone took it!" Killua turns around and sees a figure in black scurrying away outside the hotel. "It's him! Let's go!"

The two of them take off at an incredible speed.

They think they'll be able to catch up to the thief in no time, but ten minutes after the chase began, they're still pursuing him. However, they are closing in the distance.

"Gon, should I use Thunderbolt to stun him?"

"You mean one of your electric abilities?"

"Yeah."  
"Wouldn't that just kill him instead of slowing him?"

"I can control the power under normal circumstances, but since we're running right now, I might miscalculate."

"Then save it, we can't accidentally kill him."  
Killua is just about to say "But", but one look at Gon's serious face convinces him.

But the moment Killua looks away, a knife is thrown directly at his face. His body is forced to activate Godspeed automatically, and he dodges the incoming knife at the last second.

"Jeez! That was close!" However, now Godspeed is activated for Killua, he easily catches up to the thief and knocks him out. He then comes back to Gon a second later with his phone.

"There you go, Gon."

"Wow...Um...thanks...Killua, but you didn't have to do that."

"Well, he threw a knife at me and almost killed me, so...yeah."

While the two of them are talking, some people around them saw the whole thing.

"Yo! Did you see that kid?" One exclaims.

"Who? The one in the blue undershirt and white T-shirt?" Another one asks.

"Yeah! He was so fast!"

Another person yells at Gon and Killua, "Hey! Who are you kids? Come here!" The speaker is a very large and burly man in his thirties.

"Not interested." Killua waves him off.

"I'll pay you a million Jenny!"

"Nope!"

"Ten million!" He increases the offer.

"Nope! We're not interested in money!"

"Y'all are just some goddamn kid that goes around stealing from people! You won't get away with this! I'm telling ya!" The person offering them money is now getting mad, he threatens them.

"What are you going to do? Call the police on us because you're too scared to come at a kid by yourself?" Killua teases him.  
"Yer bastard!" However, he has no intention to fight Killua, he's aware of the skill gap between them.

"Heh, that's what I thought...Gon, let's go." Killua turns around and walks back toward Gon. However, the moment he turns around, the large man takes out his pistol to shoot Killua.

" _Tsk! I knew it! I knew he'd attack me when I turn around!"_ Killua leaps back toward him at an unbelievable speed. In fact, it is so fast Killua seems to have disappeared to the average human eye. Half of a second later, Killua reappears behind the large man, with his razor-sharp finger-nails pointed directed at his neck. The man freezes in terror.

Killua's eyes are now blank of emotions, he whispers quietly into the man's ears. "Three problems. Number one, we didn't steal anything, a thief stole my friend's phone, we were simply taking it back. Number two, don't go around making empty threats you can't fulfill. Number three, never...and I mean NEVER try to sneak attack someone...Because trust me, they know. Understood?"

The man doesn't respond, he's still recovering from the initial shock. Killua pushes his claws into the man's skin, blood starts to drip out. Killua asks again, "Understood!?"

"Y-yes. Please…" He answers.

"Good."

"Umm...c-can I ask you a question?" The man asks.

"What is it?"

"What's your name? Who are you?" He asks weakly.

Killua hesitates, but answers ten seconds later. "Killua Zoldyck."

The man winces at the name "Zoldyck."

"If you mention me or my name to anyone, trust me, those will be the last words that you'll speak."

"Y-yes… I understand." He answers compliantly.

One outsider might describe this situation "sarcastic" because Killua is toying with a man almost twice his height.

Killua walks back toward Gon, "Alright Gon, let's go now."

"Okay."

The two of them walk back, everyone else gets out of their way when they see them coming.

The sun is almost shining directly on top of them,

"Killua, what do you want to do now?"Gon asks.

"Let's just go to the airport and wait there, I don't want to end up in a fight with someone else."

"Okay! Sounds good!"

"Wait, I gave you back your phone...right?" Killua asks.

"Yeah, it's right here. You gave it to me when you came back to me during that fight. Thanks." Gon takes it out of his pocket to prove it.

"No worries." Killua answers.

They hire a cab to take them to the airport, and thus, their Journey back to Whale Island proceeds to its next stage.


	12. Chapter 12 - Aboard x The x Airship

**Chapter 12 - Aboard x The x Airship**

"Jeez! Killua! Why did you buy two whole baskets of snack!" Gon yells.

"What? We'll be on the airship for half a day. And an airship is different from an airplane. They don't bring the food to you, you have to go to the cafeteria yourself to get food." Killua explains.

"Yeah, I know. I've been in one before."

The two boys have already gone through security in the airport. It's currently 2:30, they'll have to wait for another three hours until they can go onto the airship.

"Gon, what did you get?" Killua asks, while curiously peeking inside Gon's bag.

"Just some books that I thought might be interesting to read." Gon answers.

"Wow! What a nerd!" Killua teases him and then laughs.

"Well, I thought maybe we can read them when we get back to Whale Island. I mean, we can't play all day, right? We can read when we get bored."

" I know, I know, I was kidding. Hehe."

Killua looks around for their gate number, he doesn't see it anywhere around them.

"Mm, looks like we have to walk to our gate. We can stop for some food along the way."

"Alright, sounds good!" Gon nods in agreement.

"I don't any signs here...Lemme go ask someone." Gon runs over to a security guard near them,  
"Excuse me sir, do you know where's gate 88?" Gon asks politely.

" . It's pretty far from here, you have to take the trains on the first floor to get to the other terminal. Gate 88 is on the third floor."

"Thanks!"

"No problem."

Gon runs back to Killua and tells him the information.

"Mmm...ok. We can get some food at the other terminal then. Since we haven't had lunch yet, I'm kinda hungry."

"Yeah me too."

The two boys head to the first floor to the train station. However, when they get there, they see that the waiting line is at least a couple hundred yards long.

"Jesus! Why are there so many people!? We'll have to wait here for ages!" Gon complains.

Killua looks around and sees that they're an exit door to the outside near them, and a smile emerges from his face. He says, "Hey Gon, wanna go on a trip with me?"

"Huh? Trip? What trip?" Gon asks, confused.

"I'll give you a piggyback ride!"

"Why?"

"I'll explain after. Jump on." Killua lowers himself and points to his back. "Gon, you trust me, right?"

"Okay."

Gon gets on his back. And Killua exits the building through the door. Once they're outside, Killua asks," You ready?"

"Ready for what?"

The next moment Gon feels a tingly sensation going through his body, and he sees Killua's silver hair spike up.

" _Godspeed, On!"_

"Killua, wh…" Before Gon even finishes his question, they've already arrived at the other terminal. Killua covered an area of five hundred yards in a second.

"How'd you like that, Gon?" Killua asks.

"Woah! That felt good!" Gon yells.

"Alright, you can get off now."

"B-but.." Gon complains.

"Not now, Gon, I'll let you do it more when we get back to Whale Island."

"Okay."

Killua can see that Gon is disappointed, he pats him on the back to cheer him up.

"Cheer up, Gon. We'll be back home in less than a day. You'll see your Aunt Mito (Mito-san) again. You haven't seen her is how long? More than a year?"

" _I said 'home' instead of your home to close in the distance between us."_

"The last time I was there I was with you. So about two years."

The two begin to walk inside the terminal. The Gate number 88 is right in front of them.

"Oh, perfect, here's our gate. But why is this terminal so different than the other one? This one only has two gates on one floor, but the two buildings are the same size."

"Oh, because this terminal is specifically meant for airships instead of airplanes. Y'know, cuz airships are way bigger. And I'm pretty sure these two gates are the only two gates in this building."

Killua is right, when they look around, they do not see any other gates in this terminal.

"Well, we have to wait for another two hours. Oh Yeah! Let's go get some food."

"What do you want to have, Killua?" Gon asks.

"Mmm, I don't know. Let's walk around and see what our choices are."

"Okay, sounds good."

"So after going around the whole place, there are a Sushi restaurant, a burger place, and a steakhouse...Gon, what do you want to have?"

"Uhh...I don't know...you pick."

"Gon, I understand that you care about my feelings, but since you're going to paying with your money from your credit card, it would only make sense that you pick what you want to eat."

"Okay. I'll to put money in a joint account under our names. Is that enough."

"No Gon, you're missing the point."

"No, Killua, you are the one missing the point. You've been doing really poorly ever since last night, I'm trying to make you feel better."

" _-hk…"_ Gon's words shock Killua."Oh...I didn't know…" Killua murmurs.

"It's alright. I understand."

"Thank you, Gon…Then let's go to the burger place."

"Hey! That's almost the one I wanted to go to!"

"Great!"

One weakness that can potentially cause the downfall of Gon and Killua's friendship is that the two friends care about each other too much. Both of them are able to put the other in front of himself. This can sometimes lead to misunderstanding and trouble.

"So Killua, what do you want to do once we arrive at Whale Island. " Gon asks as he takes a bite of his burger.

The two boys are sitting at a desk facing each other next to a window in the burger place. They've both ordered a burger and a drink.

"I don't know. It'll be morning when we get there."

"I wonder if Whale Island changed at all. Maybe there will be new people and new kids. We can play together."

"Gimme a sec." Killua mumbles, "Lemme finish chewing this burger first." He stuffs the whole burger into his mouth. And after ten seconds of intense jaw-work, "Okay, I'm done."

"Uh..there's something next to your mouth." Gon points to a scrap piece of food to the right of Killua's mouth.

"Huh? Where?"

"I'll get it for you." Gon stands up and wipes it for Killua.

"Huh? Wha-?"

"There we go, much better!" Gon laughs and sits back down.

Killua's heart softens the moment he sees Gon's smile. " _Why are his smiles so relaxing and pleasing?"_ Killua thinks.

Suddenly, an announcement comes in.

"The Airship #7090 has landed. Passengers can begin to board within the next five minutes. The airship will depart in two hours."

"Huh? This quick?" Says Killua.

"Maybe an airship is different from an airplane. Maybe you can board early. And, since we're first class, let's go!"

After checking out of the restaurant, the two boys made a beeline for the boarding area of the airship. After arriving there, they're surprised again by the extremely long waiting line. But then they realize that there's a separate line with no people for First and Business class. The two of the run up to the counter.  
"Your tickets please." The staff behind the counter asks, and Killua hands her their two tickets.

After scanning them using the machine, she hands them back, "Alright, you're good to go."

They burst right through the door. Once they get to the outside, they gasp at the gigantic size of the airship.  
"Jeez! What is this thing?" Gon yells.

"According to the website, it has a total of ten stories, and it's basically like a floating town. It contains everything that a regular town would have. From barber shops to Casinos, they all have them."

"Woah! Let's get on board then!"

The two of them dash toward the entrance, but they are stopped by another security check. But they pass that with no trouble and head into the airship.

"So our room is on the 10th floor. So the highest floor." Killua looks down at the airship tickets that they bought. "We're in room 1004."

"Killua! There are three elevators over here." Gon calls him from behind, and the two get in one and select "floor 10". The elevator that they are in has glass walls, as a result, they are able to get an eagle-eye view of the interior of the airship.

"Yeah, Killua you were right! There have everything here!" Gon exclaims. "And I'm guessing that all of the staterooms are on the two sides of the airship while all of the shops are in the middle. Because then the passengers will be able to get a better view."

"Yeah, Gon you're right!" Killua agrees.

"-Ding!" They've arrived on the 10th floor.

Once they step outside of the elevator, they get a completely different feeling than the floors under them.

"Woah! Everything on this floor is so nice. And unlike the wooden floors under us, the floors here are covered with carpet. Aw this is so cool!"

"Hey Gon, keep it down. This floor is for first class only, so have some manner, will you?"

"Okay, my bad."

"So… there are only ten rooms on this floor...And our's is right over...here!"

Killua inserts their room key, and "Bingo!" The door opens.

"Oh my gawd! This is sooo luxurious and huuuuge! We have a suite just for the two of us! And there are two bedrooms so we each get our own! And look at this living room between the two bedrooms!...No way! There's even a window on the ceiling! Look at the size of this bathroom! And there's also a huge glass window! Wow, just imagine what the view will be like once we're in the air." Gon shouts excitedly.

"Umm...Gon, what did I just say?"

"Oh..um..sorry."  
"It's alright, just don't do it again. Anyway. This is pretty dope! Gon, what room do you want? The one on the right or the one on the left?"

Gon notices that there's a stain on the a wall of the room on the left, so he says, "I'll take the left one."

"Huh? Why would you….?"

" _So Killua noticed the stain too."_

"Because I want you to have the better one, Killua."


	13. Chapter 13 - Truth x On The x Airship

Chapter 13 - Truth x On The x Airship

"Wow...Gon…" Killua quietly mutters.

"So, no arguing with me here." Gon practically shoves Killua into the room on the right. Killua pretends to resist, however, his body and his thoughts is going along with Gon.

"Wait Gon, I just realized, these are all King-sized beds! And they're so fluffy!" Killua jumps onto his bed. And sinks into the softness of the mattress.

"Really? I wanna try!" Gon runs over to his room, and also jumps onto his bed. He also sinks into the mattress. "Yo! This is so comfy!"

Gon and Killua's room has four parts. When you enter through the front door, you have a closet to your left, and the bathroom to your right. If you continue to walk down, you'll find Killua's bedroom to the right, and Gon's bedroom to the left. And the living room is at the end of the room.

"Alright Gon, let's stay in our room until the airship takes off. We can have dinner as it ascends into the sky."

Alright, sounds good. I'm going to watch some TV then."

"Ok, And can I see some of the books that you bought? I might want to read one."

"They're in the plastic bag in my room."

Killua goes to Gon's room to get the books. "Wait Gon, why did you buy a Poetry Anthology?"

"I don't know, I thought it might come in handy." Gon answers sincerely.

"Hmm...this one looks pretty good...It's called "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck...That's a weird title."

"What's it about?" Gon asks from the living room.

"I don't know, I haven't read it yet...I'll start it right now…But before that, time to make us comfortable." Killua goes to the closet, and just as expected, findS two of slippers.

"Here, Gon, wear this." Killua brings it over to Gon, who is sitting in the sofa watching Anime.

"What are you watching?" Killua asks.

"Haven't found a good show yet." But luckily, they have all of the channels unlocked. So we can watch movies together tonight."

"Alright. Sounds good...I'm gonna be in my room, reading."

Killua takes off his currently shoes and slips his feet into the slippers. And walks back to his room.

Killua, a boy who desires nothing but happiness, has chose to remain in his room and read a book instead of watching TV with his friend.

"I don't want to hide the truth from Gon anymore. I'll tell him tonight."

Killua feels a slight tremble, but then a huge tremor.

"Gon, I think we're in the air. Let's go to the cafeteria." Says Killua from his room.

"Okay. I think the airship is a little early. It's only 5:50 right now."

"Who knows...Anyway, let's go get dinner."

Gon changes to his regular shoes, but when he notices that Killua is still wearing his slippers, he asks, " You're going to wear your slippers?"

"Why not?"

"You're right." Gon agrees. He sends his shoes flying across the room and puts on his slippers.

"So according to the directory, there are two places where you can get food. And they're both on the 9th floor. One is a buffet and one you have to order with a menu….Let's go to the buffet one, okay?"

"Sounds good, let's go."

The two boys head out of their room. Killua grabs a room key before they leave. After taking the elevator to get to the ninth floor, the two now stand before the buffet restaurant.

"Hi you two! Do you have reservations?" The waitress at the front desk asks.

"No." Killua answers.

"Can I please have your room number?"

"We're in room 1004. Here's the room key." Killua hands her the key. After swiping it in a machine, she returns it back.

"Alright, you can go straight in. Enjoy your dinner!"

"Thanks." Gon waves her back.

The design of the cafeteria is quite cool. Since it's located at the rear end of the airship, the walls of the ending half of the cafeteria are made purely out of strengthened glass. As a result, the guests sitting in that area will get an almost-360' view of the outside. All of the food stands are in the middle, while the seating spaces are on the outside. The cafeteria pretty crowded, probably because Gon and Killua aren't the only ones hoping to see the take-off.

After getting their food, Gon and Killua find an open table next to a big window. They arrive at the last second and catches a last glimpse of the mainland until it slowly fades out of view.

The orange sunset outside their window dyes the whole room orange. The view of the sunset is amazing. However, Killua doesn't even notice it."

"What I'm about to say will put our friendship and our lives on the line...How will Gon react to this?"

Finally, after taking two deep breaths, Killua opens his mouth.

"Gon… Do remember when you asked me why I was so depressed for the past two days?"

"Umm yeah. And you said you don't want to answer."

"I'll tell you. What I'm about to say might be shocking and you probably won't want to believe it, but I swear on my life that it's true."

"Okay. I believe you."

"You Dad, Ging Freecss...He...he…." Killua hesitates, "Is this really a good idea?"

Gon's ears perk up when he hears his father, he pursues, "He did what?"

"He told me… to kill you." Killua finishes his sentence. Gon doesn't notice it, but Killua's eyes are wet.

"He...wants you...to kill me?" Gon repeats what Killua had just said, still unable to comprehend the meaning behind this.

"And if I don't, I'll be kicked out of my family."

"How does you killing me have anything to do with your family?" Gon asks.

"Because Ging placed the order to kill you on my family first, but in the purchase description he said let Killua do it. My family has to follow what the customer wants, so I have to do it."

"How'd you get this information? I mean, we were together the whole time." Gon asks.

"My brother Illumi called me when you were showering two nights ago."

"Ahh ok."

"Gon, I basically just said I have to kill you. Shouldn't you be getting all defensive or running away? That's what normal people would do."

Gon smiles gently, and looks into Killua's eyes. "I'm not running away because I know, I know that you won't kill me. If you actually wanted to kill me, you could've done it ages ago. When I was sleeping, or even right now. You could've just done it before telling me anything… Killua, you're not the type of person who would ditch a friend. You're not a murderer."

"-hk." Killua gags at the way Gon chose to answer.

"In fact, I'm so confident that you won't kill me, I'll…" Gon reaches for Killua's hand, takes his hand and brings it to his own neck. Killua's nails are touching Gon's skin. If he wants to kill him, he only needs to bring out his claws, and Gon will be dead. He can kill him so easily right now.

"I'm so confident that you won't kill me, I'm willing to do this." Gon finishes his sentence.

Blood, Killua can feel the blood rushing under Gon's skin. His killer instinct tells him to attack and kill, but the other side of him forbids it.

"But if you want to stay in your Zoldyck family, you can take my life right now. Take my body to your family, and prove that you're worth as an assassin. Take it, and you can have a happy life in front of you. You'll be rich."

"Gon...why?...How?" Killua asks weakly.

"I'm willing to sacrifice my own life if it means that my friend will be happier." Gon replies calmly. Not with the slightest doubt or fear in his voice.

The two stay quiet for a long time after that. Finally, after five minutes of silence, Killua mutters

"I see… I wouldn't understand."

"You'll get it, eventually. And I think the reason why Dad asked you to kill me."

"Mm? What is it?" Killua asks curiously.

"Two years ago, he gave me the quest of trying to track him down. To be honest, it was a pretty hard task. And right now, he wants me to be able to live by myself, without the help of a friend. He also believes that friends will eventually betray you one day… That's why he's a vagabond. He doesn't trust anyone. Not even me, his own son..."

Gon's voice trails off toward the end of the sentence. But then he suddenly looks up, with eyes full of determination. "But this time! He's wrong this time! Friends shouldn't betray each other! Some might, but others won't! I know that for a fact! Because an example of this is sitting right in front of me! Killua!"


	14. Chapter 14 - Home x Sweet x Home

**Chapter 14 -Home x Sweet x Home**

After their dinner, Gon and Killua decide to walk around the ship and explore a bit more. Outside, the sun has set completely. Even though they can't go outside, the fact that they are in the sky decreases the distance between them and the celestial bodies.

After talking to Gon about Illumi's call, Killua seems to become a completely different person.

"So Gon! Let's to their arcade and have some fun in there!"

"Sure! And Killua, you finally sound like yourself again!" Gon pats his friend on the back, and they two runs to the fifth floor, where the arcade is.

However, when they get to the fifth floor, they realize that almost all of the shops on the airship are located on that floor. The whole fifth floor resembles a really long street, with shops and restaurants on both sides.

"Jeez, that's a lot of people!" Gon says. Most of the customers have also decided to walk off the food after dinner. As a result, Gon and Killua can barely manage to squeeze themselves through the sea of people.

"But the design is pretty cool though."

"I know right? Aaannnd, according to this directory, the arcade should be at the other end of the ship." Killua says as he looks at a pamphlet in his hands.

Their trip to the arcade should've taken a lot shorter. But because of Gon constantly getting distracted by other shops, they had to make a few pit stops here and there.

"Gon! Hurry up!" Killua calls him from behind.

"But Killua! Look at this sick toy gun! It's so cool! Can I buy it?"

"W-why are you asking me?" Killua stutters because of embarrassment.

"Because I thought everything we do would be mutual."

"When did we agree on that?"

"I don't...know…Nevermind, let's go." Gon puts down the toy gun and walks back to Killua.

"No, it's alright. Sorry, I was being a jerk. You can buy it if you want."

" _Honestly, I just feel bad for not allowing Gon to buy the stuff he wants."_

"No, I know it's a bad habit of mine. I have to get rid of it sooner or later."

After realizing this, the two friends make their way over to the arcade without another stop. And just as they expected, it's full of people.

"Ther so many people! It'll take forever to wait in these lines. You wanna just go? We can maybe watch a movie together or read a book together in our room." Says Gon.

"You know, Gon, I was just about to say the same thing."

"Let's go then!"

"Wait! Before we do, let's go to a store and buy some pajamas. So can stay be comfy when we hang out tonight." Killua proposes.

"Great Idea!"

Five minutes later, they are standing in front of a clothing shop, and after another ten minutes, the two boys are back in their room.

"One of us should shower first. Gon, do you want to go first?"

Gon walks into the bathroom but comes back five seconds later ," Or we can just bath in the hot tub together! Hehe!"

"Eh? You…?" Killua flusters...Awkward!

"Aw...Are you shy?" Gon teases him, "We showered together the last time we were on Whale Island, remember?"

"Gon, when did you learn to tease someone?"

"I don't know, it just came to me. But…" Gon suddenly reaches for Killua's arms and pulls him into the bathroom. "Get in here!"

"Hey Gon! Watch it! ...Ow! That hurt!"

"Killua stop shooting!"

"But you're also shouting!" Killua argues.

"Oh, I am? Haha!"

They begin to laugh, it might be because laughing is slightly contagious.

"Now we just need to fill up this huge tub up with warm water...How big is this thing? It's gotta be at least three and a half feet by twelve feet.

"Now take off your clothes." Says Gon.

"What are you…? Hey! N-no looking!"

"Jeez, Killua, just get into the tub. Add in some bubble lotion to make it more comfy."

After undressing himself, Gon hops into the tub to join his friend.

"Ha Killua, take this!" Gon splashes water toward Killua, who is sitting on the other end of the tub.

"Gon! Stop! Pfff! Ahh!"

"Hehe!"

"Gon! Stop the water! It's overflowing the tub! And you should empty out some water. You don't need it to be more than two feet deep."

"Mmm...Good idea."

Gon opens the drain at the bottom of the tub to release some water. He closes it again after five seconds. "There we go!"

"Aww this water is sooo warm! It feels soo good!" Gon exclaims.

The rest of their bath proceeds on pretty smoothly, since neither of them says a single word for the remaining time of their bath, they manage to survive the whole period without shouting.

After drying themselves after the bath and getting into their new fluffy pajamas, the two sit on the couch and prepares to enjoy a movie together.

"Alright, it's currently 9:30 at night. We'll have to sleep after this movie, okay? Because the airship is supposed to land tomorrow morning at six or seven."

"Okay! Now...what movies should we watch?" Gon asks."

"You pick, I don't care."

"Oooo. It's a tough choice because all movies are available here."

The two finally settle on the "Lego Movie" However, one-third of the way throughout the movie, both of them have already fallen asleep on the couch, next to each other.

Gon and Killua wake up the next morning to the sound of the airship's horns and an announcement. "We have arrived at Whale Island. We have ten minutes until the plane departs again. Safe travels to anyone who is getting off. We hope to see you again."

"Huh?!" Yells Gon, "What? What time is it?"

"Jeez! I don't know! Let's hurry up! We only have ten minutes. We don't need to pack anything. Gon, after you change, give me your pajamas. I'll carry both of ours in this plastic bag." Killua takes the plastic bag that they had from yesterday and brings it to Gon.

Five minutes later, the two boys are outside of their room, ready to go.

"Do we have enough time? We have to return the room keys and check out!"

They run to the elevator and then takes it all the way down to the first floor. They dash straight toward the front desk.

"Hi, sorry we're late. We didn't wake up until the announcement was made." Killua scratches the back of his head and says.

The receptionist smiles, and says, "No worries. But where are your luggage, did you guys forget?"

"Oh. We didn't bring anything besides this plastic bag."

"Okay, good. Because if you forgot it would've been too late for you to go back. Alright, I'm just going to charge the price onto the credit that you put in yesterday, is that ok?"

"Yeah." Killua answers.

"And...Done! Here's the receipt, can you sign it for me?"

Gon takes the receipt and walks over to Gon, who was standing in the back, wait for Killua.

"Here, sign this."

"Why can't you just sign it?" Gon pouts and complains, but he signs it anyway.

Killua ignores Gon's unneeded comment. When Gon finishes, he gives the receipt back to the receptionist.

"Alright! You two are good to go. Safe travels!"

"Thanks" Gon waves her a goodbye, and the two are now off of the airship.

It's still the crisp of dawn. The wet ground shows that rain fell not long ago.

"Killua checks his watch, "It's six forty-five right now. We're not on the main island yet. This is just some place next to it built to it to park planes and airships. Pretty sure we have to take a boat to get to the main island."

The two look over to their right and see a distinct whale-shaped landscape in the distance.

"There it is!" Gon exclaims. "Let's hurry up then!"

The two boys run at their top speed to the post.

"Hey! We're going to Whale Island over there. So… two tickets. When's the next boat going over there?" Gon asks desperately.

"Well, lucky you. The next boat is almost here. In about ten minutes." He looks up from his papers, and his mouse opens in shock, "Gon? Is that you?"

"Do you know me?" Gon asks, surprised.

"Yeah! I used to babysit you all the time when you were really young. Ya'know it kind of hurts that you don't remember me anymore."

"Really? Well, sorry."

"Anyway, where have you been? I heard from Mito you passed your Hunter's License. So what have you doing the past year?"

"I found my dad and lived in the cities with him for a bit. Because he was given a job and I stayed with him."

"Ahh! So you found Ging! Well, congrats." He looks at Killua, who is quiet during all of this, and he's standing about 20 feet behind Gon.

"And you must be Killua, right? I also heard Mito mention you. She said you're a really nice and polite kid. Gon's really lucky to have you as his best friend, ya'know."  
"Huh? Oh...I don't know…" Killua's face blushes at the sudden topic transition onto himself.

"Yeah! Killua!" Gon walks back to Killua and pats him on his back.

"Awww, look at him, he's people shy." The man teases Killua.

"Well, that's the boat. It's almost here." He says, pointing at a boat on the water.

"Thanks, wait...what's your name again?"

"Name's Riku. When you get to Whale Island, say hi to Mito for me."

"No problem!" Alright! Bye, Riku!" After Gon and Killua get on the boat, they wave him goodbye. They are the only two going over the water this time.

"Oh! Riku! I forgot! We don't have tickets!" Gon suddenly realizes and shouts back at Riku.

"Haha! You don't need tickets! That's your home. I'm not going to charge someone money just so they can visit their home!" Riku laughs and shouts back

"Oh! Okay! Thanks!"

Gon and Killua arrive at Whale Island ten minutes after, Gon dashes at full speed toward his house.

"Aww, looks like nothing's changed since the last time we were here, Killua."

"Yo Gon! Stop running. Since Aunt Mito doesn't know we're here. Let's sneak in and give her a big surprise." Killua whispers.

"Good idea!"

The two walk over to the frontdoor. Gon quietly turns the doorknob, and immediately pulls it back.

Just as they are about to say, "Surprise! Aunt Mito, their bodies freeze as they see the people inside the house.

There, in the house, next to the dinner table, sits three people.

"Aunt Mito, Ging, and Illumi?!"


	15. Chapter 15 - Everything x For A x Friend

**Chapter 15 - Everything x For A x Friend**

Illumi smirks as soon as he sees the two boys at the front door. He turns to Ging, who is on his left. "What did I say, Ging. I told you they'll be together."

Ging puts both of his hands up into the air as a sign of defeat. "Alright, you got me there."

Gon interrupts their chat with a shout, "What is going on here?!"

Ging shoots Illumi a look, and the next instance, Illumi dashes toward Killua with incredible speed. One second later, both of the Zoldycks are gone, out of their view.

"What?" Gon asks, confused.

Ging ignores his son, he turns and signals Mito, she turns around and exits the house too.

After everyone else has left the house, Ging finally diverts his attention toward Gon.

"Gon...Why are you and Killua together?" Ging cuts straight to the point.

"Before I answer that, dad, why did you tell Killua to kill me?" Gon doesn't hesitate as well.

"Ah! So you already know...Well, that saves a lot of explanation time. The reason is, you see, you shouldn't rely on your friends. Especially that Killua kid. One day, he's going to get bored and turn on you. He is an assassin afterall." Ging explains.

No! Not Killua! He's never going to let me down! Never! I believe in him!" Gon's words of determination and dedication resonates through the air.

Ging sighs, "Gon, you just don't get it, do you?"

"That's right! I don't get it! I won't get it! And I have no intentions on trying to get it! And besides, how does him betraying me have anything to do with you ordering him to kill me?"

"I doubt that you would let that kid kill you. But even if he only tries, that'll be enough for you learn that a friend can attempt to murder another friend."

"Oh...Too bad, dad, your plan didn't work."

"No, Gon. My plan hasn't ended yet." Ging says this with a sly smile on his face. The scene here resembles nothing like a father-and-son talk.

"Huh? Hasn't ended? What does that mean?" Gon asks, confused.

"After Illumi brainwash Killua and come back, I'm going to make you kill your best friend. You'll have to, or he's going to kill you. None of that friendship will work on him. He's going to lose all of his memories and thoughts for a few days. During that time, he knows nothing but killing and murder. You'll have to fight him, Gon. It's either Killua's death, or your's."

"Damn! Why would you do this to me, dad!" Gon shouts, "Plus, I trust Killua, he wouldn't let Illumi brainwash him."

"You still don't understand? I'm doing this for you! You shouldn't rely on friends!"

"Did Illumi brainwash you too? Ging? Why are you so stuck on the idea of not trusting friends?!"

"Because they'll end up betraying you one day!" Ging shouts back.

"Tsk! Exactly what Killua's brother and family said." Gon groans weakly.

Ging looks at his watch, "Mmm, they should be back in any second now."

Gon quietly murmurs, "This isn't you, dad. I don't know what happened, but this isn't you."

"Huh? What do you mean, son?" Ging asks.

"Don't call me your son!" Gon snaps, "You're not my father! I'm not your son! My real father wouldn't be doing this right now! If you are my real father, I would be happily introducing you to Killua right now!"

"Gon...Calm down. I'm Ging Freecss, your actual, real father."

"No you're not! Once I save Killua, I'll go with him! We'll travel around the world together! While you're going to be alone, by yourself, regretting your actions!"  
"Gon...You'll choose to be with Killua than to be with me, your dad?" For the first time, Ging voice sounds doubtful and unsure.

"Killua chose to be with me over to stay with his family. He would've gotten his last name 'Zoldyck' taken away from him. But he chose to be with me! So why can't I do the same thing!"

Suddenly, a new voice joins Gon and Ging, it's Illumi's. He says, "Killua, attack Gon."

The next instant, Killua steps forward, his eyes are black, completely emotionless. He doesn't say a word, and launches itself straight toward Gon.

"No, no, no no, no! Killua!" Gon shouts in anger, however, it's useless.

Gon has no intentions of attacking Killua, he's only dodging. Even though he's managing that pretty successfully, Killua was able to get a few scrapes here and there. After a while, those wounds are starting to pile up on Gon's body.

" _Since Killua is being manipulated by Illumi, he shouldn't be able to use Godspeed. Or else I'd be dead by now. I doubt he can use any of his assassination techniques either, like rhythmic echo. All he can do is basic attacks...That's a relief. But I can't just wait around here and block his attacks."_ Gon looks down at his bleeding legs. " _Ow, that hurt! Killua's nails are sharp."_

Gon looks over to Illumi and Gon, both of them are waiting outside of the house.

" _Tsk! I won't have enough time to get to them! Damn! The situation here is really bad for me! My only solution is Killua."_

When Killua strikes again, Gon doesn't dodge, instead he whispers, "Killua! It's me, Gon!" . However, Killua doesn't respond. Killua's current self reminds Gon of Kite. When he lost an arm fight Pitou, Gon and the other thought thought Kite was still alive. However, his corpse was merely being manipulated by Pitou. He doesn't speak, doesn't think, only fights what stands in his way. Right now, Killua is acting in the same way.

" _Does that mean?...No! It can't be! Not Killua!"_ Gon disposes that thought right when it enters his head.

While Gon was using a piece of his mind to consider that, however, he let his guard slip and suffers another wound on his left arm.

"Ugh!" Gon groans in pain. "This isn't the way."

"Killua." Gon whispers again. "Come back to me."

The result is the same. To make it even worse, Killua lands another solid punch onto spills out of his mouth. However, even in a predicament like this, Gon's will still isn't destroyed. Ever since the battle started, Gon hasn't even laid a finger on Killua yet.

Gon's blood entirely cover's Killua hands, and dyes his silver hair bright red. " _Killua, you look horrible with blood on you. Killing doesn't suit you. You shouldn't be a murderer."_ Just as Gon is thinking about this, another thought enters his mind, " _If Killua kills me, does that mean he'll accomplish his job as an assassin, and his family won't bother him again?...Well, if I die right now, at least one of us will be happy."_ Thinking about this brings Gon a touch of happiness, he smiles faintly.

Gon let's go of his defensive posture, he stands up straight, and gets into a "T" pose, with his arms pointing horizontally to the sides.

"Killua. If killing me is what it takes for you to live happily, then go ahead. I will gladly sacrifice my life, without a doubt." His voice is calm and even.

These words, however, do not register in Killua's mind. He's simply obeying simple instructions, " _Kill Gon" ._ These commands propel Killua to attack Gon.

Gon endures hit after hit, stab after stab. He doesn't move an inch. He looks down at the floor and sees a huge puddle of blood right under him.

" _Is this my blood…? Oh no...I'm starting to feel dizzy."_ Gon resignedly shuts his eyes. With life fading before his eyes, his last words are, "Killua, no matter what you do to me, I'll never betray you. Because...We're friends, aren't we?!"

Killua's claws are aimed straight toward Gon's neck. Just when it looks like they're going to pierce through it, he jerks his arm to a stop. Killua can feel blood gushing under Gon's skin. However, he doesn't take the last move.

With his final strength, Gon manages to lift an eye. Instead of seeing a pair of emotionless, black eyes, however, Gon sees tears streaming out of a pair of sky blue eyes. Killua slowly withdraws his hand, and lightly whispers, "Gon, I'm back."

With a smile on his face, Gon collapses, just when he's about to hit the ground, Kíllua reaches out and catches him. After carefully laying Gon down, Kíllua walks out the front door.

Illumi smiles after seeing Kíllua, however, Ging's expression is mixed between sadness and curiosity.

Illumi says, "See? I told you, Ging. Kil can do it."

Kíllua remains standing Idly during their conversation. However, while Illumi and Ging thinks that Kíllua is still under Illumi's Control, he is actually composing inside his head.

"So what do we do now? Ging asks Illumi.

"We'll just leave Kil here. After a few days he'll wake up and find out about what he did."

Right when they start to walk toward the port, Kíllua dashes toward Illumi with incredible speed.

Kíllua says," For all the wounds that you made me deal to Gon, I'll repay all of the to you!"

Kíllua cuts through his brother's skin and flesh. Ging tried to stop Kíllua, but Kíllua threatens him with a menacing tone." I don't care if you're Gon's father. If you get on my way, you're dead."

"Umm..ok." Ging backs off slowly.

Kíllua throws the unconscious Illumi toward Ging, "If you come anywhere near us again, that will be the last thing you do."

After dealing with Illumi and aging, Kíllua slowly drags himself toward the house, he sits himself next to the sleeping Gon.

"Thank you, Gon, for believing in me. You never gave up me no matter how dire the circumstances are." Kíllua smiles as he looks at the gravely wounded Gon.

The afternoon sun pierced through the cracked window and illuminates Gon's face. Kíllua reaches for Gon neck, he can still feel fresh blood rushing under his skin. Rather than tearing Gon's neck open like he was trained and told to do, Kíllua lowers his face and presses a kiss there instead.


	16. Chapter 16 - Talk x About x The Future

**Chapter 16 - Talk x About x The Future**

The orange sunlight pierces through the windows of the house. It lights up the entire room. On the floor of that room, lies Gon, he's sound asleep. Aunt Mito kneels toward him, she's been wrapping, and taking care of Gon's wounds carefully. With tears streaming out of her eyes, she quietly mutters, "Gon, I'm sorry."

Gon's body is almost completely covered with white bandages, his blood dyes them red. However, there is a sense of emptiness next to Gon, a sense of someone who has always been there, with Gon when he's in trouble.

The missing feeling of friendship, the missing feeling of -

 _-Killua_

Gon notices that feeling even in his sleep. He reaches out for it with his hand, he tries to grab it, but his hands are merely swinging into the air. Aunt Mito notices Gon's sudden movements in his sleep, she lends out her arm to take Killua's place. However, Gon notices the difference, he rejects it by pushing it away.

Because the sense of emptiness keeps on bothering him, Gon wakes up. The first thing he sees is Aunt Mito's face, above his.

"Oh, Gon, you're awake." Mito says.

"Mmm, yeah. What happened?" Gon asks.

"I don't really know the details. But I came back after your fight ended. I treated your wounds, but you shouldn't move often. It'll take a while for you to recover."  
"Where's Killua?" Gon dives straight toward the topic.

"Um...he...I don't know." Mito averts her gaze from Gon, and stares down onto the floor.

"Aunt Mito, you're not telling the truth." Gon says, "Tell me, where's Killua?"

She sighs, "When I came back here, he was lying next to you, he was crying. He only said one sentence to me." Mito pauses, and draws a deep breath.

"What did Killua say?" Gon asks.

"He said to me, ' _Please take care of Gon. If it weren't because of me, Gon wouldn't have suffered all of this… I'll just disappear now."_ Mito stops talking.

"Killua...why would you?" Gon slams his fist into the ground. "Killua! Why? Why are you leaving me?! Come back! Come back!"

Gon tries to stand up, but he immediately falls back down when he realizes a bone in his right leg was broken in the battle.

"Gon, you can't stand up. It'll hurt you." Mito says.

"But do you know what will hurt even more?" Gon asks. Before she can answer, Gon says himself, "Living a life without your best friend!"

Mito swallows at Gon's sudden burst.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Mito…" Gon realizes his rude action and apologizes, "But I have to find him. Right now, before he gets too far. He's the person I care about the most in this world. I...I can't leave him!"

Mito sighs when she realizes she can't persuade Gon, "Okay. He left about half an hour ago. So he should probably still be on the island. He went that way." She points toward the mountain located at the middle of the island.

"The fact that he didn't head to the port shows that he wasn't trying to off the island. He's still here. So that's good." Gon sighs with relief.

"Aunt Mito, can I have your crutches?" Gon asks.

"Yeah." She heads upstairs to get them. She comes back a minute later, and gets ready to leave.

"Gon, promise me one thing. Stay safe, okay? Come back to me when you're done."

"Yeah. I promise." Gon forces his face into a smile. And slowly walks off unevenly into the trees.

While being under the moonlight, Gon can barely see anything in the darkness. However, he is able to determine a few things that hint him toward Killua's location. He's able to identify Killua's scent and follow it. And when he loses the smell, he can track Killua footprints on the soil. Because Gon is crippled, he would fall once in a while. However, everytime, no matter how much they hurt, he would shake his head, stand back up, and continue his search.

After two hours of watching, he stops in front of a dark cave. Both Killua's footprints suggest that this is where Killua's at right now. However, the cave looks like it's about to collapse. The rocks supporting the sides and acting as support for the top ceiling is slowly crumbling away. Gon slowly approaches the cave in silence. Using the shimmering moonlight, Gon sees the silhouette of someone. A boy's. His friend's.

Gon limps his way inside the cave, "Killua?" He asks.

He remains sitting there, doesn't respond.

"Gon walks closer to him, however, once he gets close enough, he sees Killua's face. Tears overflowing it, Killua cries.

"Killua, what's wrong? Why did you decide to leave?" Gon asks.

"Why else?" Killua responds, "I couldn't protect you. I betrayed you. I'm not a true friend."

"Huh? You did none of those things."

"I attacked you. I tried to kill you!" How ridiculous does that sound?!" If a friend tries to kill his friend? Do you still want to be friends with them?" Killua's emotions are mixed with sadness, despair, and rage.

"Yes. I would. With you, at least." Gon replies calmly.

" _-hk."_ Killua gags at Gon's unexpected response.

"Killua, betray me all you want, I'll still trust you!"

"W-why? Gon. I don't get it? What makes you say those words?" Killua's shaky voice confirms his disbelief.

"It wasn't your fault that you tried to kill me, it was Illumi's, he was controlling you. And when you woke up, you drove them away, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" Killua asks.

"Aunt Mito said she came after the battle ended, which means you were the only one left."

"Still...that can't make up for what I did."

"Yes it can! Killua, I trust you. I know that you would never do something like that to me." Gon's voice is firm and determined, it's slowly making its way into Killua's shattered, broken heart.

"How do you still trust me after...after all of that?!" Killua yells.

"Because I have complete faith in you!" Gon hesitates for a second, but only a second, he then speaks up again, "Killua, my time has been stopped for too long. For the decade of my life, I knew nothing about my real parents. I couldn't find joy anywhere. Even after learning that my father abandoned me, do you know why I was still able to laugh and smile?" Overwhelmed by his own feelings, Gon pours every single drop of it toward Killua. He smiles faintly, "The reason is you! Killua! You're the reason why I'm still smiling right now! You're the one who thawed my frozen heart, you're the one who made my time move forward again!"

Killua remains sitting there, but the expression on his face looks steadier than before.

Gon continues, "So Killua, stop reminiscing the tragic past, let's talk about our future!"

"Wait...the future?" Killua, asks uncertainty.

"Yup! You can talk about your future because you have a future." Gon says, "After all, I should be on my knees begging for you to stay with me… Because I need you, Killua." Gon extends out his hand, he winces at the pain from his injuries, but he doesn't show it.

The corners of Killua's mouth goes up in an arc. And for the first time in forever, Killua smiles. He reaches for Gon's friend with his, "Yeah, let's do this. Friend!"

After reaffirming their friendship, the two friends walk out of the cave together. They walk, together, toward their glorious future!


	17. Chapter 17 - Invitation x For A x Party

**Chapter 17 - Invitation x For A x Holiday Party**

 **I know the time is out of order, but since it's holiday season, I think making the characters reunite with each other and have a pleasant time will be a good idea.**

After reuniting with Killua at the cave, the two friends are leisurely walking back to the house. The shimmering moonlight provides just enough light for them to see the path ahead. Killua is lending Gon a hand because of Gon's injuries. After helping Killua get his moxy back, something else pops into Gon's mind.

"Killua." Gon murmurs.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking, I was really selfish." Gon says.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Gon stops walking, he looks at Killua with a serious and sad expression. "The fact that I wanted to go look for my real parents and abandon Aunt Mito is really inconsiderate of me."

"Oh, it's about that… Well, it's only natural. It's normal for someone to want to find out more about their real parents." Killua also stops walking for a second but then shrugs it off.

"No, Killua, that isn't it. Aunt Mito really cares about me. I mean, she's the one who took care of my wounds. I feel bad now, because she's spent more than ten years of her life raising me and taking care of me, and I was just going to ignore her and go find some other person I've never even met before."

"That's a pretty harsh way to call your mother." Killua says quietly, "But I get it."

"You do?" Gon asks uncertainly.

"Of course. Feeling bad for someone because they've done too much for you and you don't know how to repay them? Yeah, I go through that all the time." Killua says. However, Gon's is looking at him with doubtful eyes.

" _Yeah, Gon, with you. I'm talking about you."_

The two boys have arrived at the house. When they open the front door, they see Aunt Mito sitting at the dining table, tearing up wildly. She doesn't even notice Gon and Killua when they enter the house.

"Umm..Aunt Mito?" Gon walks toward her and asks.

"Oh…" After realizing the messy state that she is in right now, she looks away from Gon. "I didn't see you guys come in...Well, doesn't matter, you two just go upstairs and go to bed...I'll be down here."

"Aunt Mito. What's wrong?" Gon's tone is soothing and really even. He doesn't let his injuries prevent him from approaching his Aunt.

"That...that wasn't your dad, Gon, that wasn't your father." Mito finally opens her mouth, however, her words don't make any sense to Gon.

"Huh? Who? Who's not my father?"

"That man who came here with Illumi. He's not Ging."

"Who is he then?" Gon doesn't believe his ears.

"I don't know. But he's not Ging. Ging's not cruel enough to do this. No, he's not cruel at all!"

While Gon and Mito are talking about this stuff, Killua is standing over by the door. He pretends to be playing with his watch, however, he's paying close attention to the topic the other two are discussing. In fact, as a third party listener, it's easier to reach a conclusion that the people in the conversation. Because they can look at the general, complete view instead of a single segment.

" _Yes. I get it. I know who pretended to be Gon's dad."_

"Hey, Gon!" Killua interrupts their conversation.

"Umm...yeah?" Gon looks up at him.

"I know who pretended to be your father." Killua says with confidence.

"Who?"

"Who likes to work with Illumi, evil-spirited, and has interest in you?" Killua asks.

"Oh! You don't mean it's…." After realizing who Killua is talking about, his lower jaw drops in shock.

The two says together, " Hisoka!"

Aunt Mito is the one confused now. "Who's Hisoka?"

"She's someone we met at the Hunter's Exam more than two years ago. We've run into him a few times in the past. Just a bad guy in general."

"But he did help us in Greed Island though." Killua adds.

"Yeah, that's true. He's 'interested' in me. I don't know what that means, but I don't like the sound of it." Gon sounds disgusted.

"But how did he manage to perfectly mimic Ging's appearance and voice?" Mito asks.

"His needles." Killua answers, "He can make someone look and sound like the same as another person."

"Oh… I see. Well, I'm glad that it wasn't actually Ging. I would be pretty sad If I just destroyed my relationship with my father."

"Now that's all cleared up, why don't you boys go upstairs and go to sleep now." Mito looks at the clock, "It's nearly two o'clock."

"Are you sure? Because all of the windows on the first floor are cracked. Someone can easily bust in here." Killua says,

"Nobody's going to steal anything on Whale Island. We all know each other really well." Mito reassures him.

The three of them head upstairs. Aunt Mito goes into her own room, while Gon and Killua go into Gon's old room from years ago. Before they shut the door, however, Gon remembers something.

"Hey! Aunt Mito! Where's Grandma Abe?" Gon yells.

"She's at somewhere safe. She'll be back tomorrow." Mito answers.

"Okay! Good night!"

"You too!"

Gon closes the door, when he turns around, he sees Killua already made a temporary bed on the floor from pillows and sheets.

"Gon, since we're at your house, you'll sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the floor. Okay?" Killua asks.

"That barely has any cushioning." Gon points at the bed Killua made on the floor, "You're going to get a backache if you sleep on that."

"Ah! Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Killua begins to settle into the bed. But before he can, Gon jumps down onto Killua and drags him onto his bed.

"Gon! Wait! W-what are you doing?"

"Come sleep with me!"

"Huh? Don't you think this is a little weird?" Killua asks.

"Why? If you slept on that hard floor, you won't feel as good tomorrow morning. And trust me, it's not weird, you can sleep on one side of the bed and I'll sleep on the other side."

"Umm...okay."

"Thanks, Killua!" Gon shouts.

"So...we're not going to shower tonight? I feel kinda sticky." Killua says.

"On whale Island, there is a designated time at night for showers. They'll pump warm water to the houses during that time. After that, you can't get access to that water anymore. And since it's mid-December right now, I doubt people are willing to shower in cold water."

"I see…Okay. Do you know when is the designated time?" Killua asks.

"Heh, I forgot…"

"Alright, no worries. Good night, Gon." Killua says quietly before shutting his eyes.

"Good night, Killua." Gon answers.

Before you know it, the sun is up, and so are the two boys.

"You know, Gon. You were right, if I slept on the floor, my back would be killing me right now." Killua says.

"Hehe. So the bed was pretty good then."

"Yeah." Killua gets off the bed and draws the shades open. The two of them are shocked by the beautiful view. The sun gradually peaks its head over the mountains. Not a single cloud exist in the sky. Everything is so peaceful and quiet. The only sound they hear is the gushing sound of the river on the island.

"Enough admiring the view, let's wash up and go downstairs." Killua says.

"Okay, you go first. I want to permanently burn this image into my mind."

"Huh? Why? Didn't you grow up here? You should be very familiar with this."

"But now, everything's different because I'm here with a friend… When I'm done, I'll make an album. An album filled with our pleasant memories together. And we'll go through it, and I want to see you cry, Killua...Hehe."

"Well, good luck. I don't cry easily." Killua walks into the bathroom, and find a spare toothbrush.

Even though Killua doesn't let Gon see the other side of him, however, on the inside, Killua is already in tears.

"Boys, do you two have any plans for today?" Mito asks them.

The three of them are sitting at the Dining table, having breakfast.

"No, not really. Why?" Gon answers.

"Well, look at this!" Mito puts a letter on the table.

"Huh. Who's this letter from...Oh. The Hunter's association! Why would they send us a letter? But it says it's for Ging." Gon looks up from the letter and looks at his Aunt, confused.

"Open it." Mito says.

After ripping the envelope open, they see a piece of red paper with writing on it inside.

Killua picks it up and starts to read.

"To Ging and his family. Because it's Holidays Season and we would like to celebrate. We, the Hunter Association, hereby invite you to a celebration party. Every Hunter is invited. Food will be provided. Hope we can see you there. Signed, Cheadle Yorkshire."

"Who's that?...Oh! Wait! I remember her! She was at the Chairman Election two years ago! With Leorio and Priston!"

"Gon. Calm down. Stop yelling." Mito waves at him to calm him down.

"Hehe, sorry."

Wait, there more to this. Killua flips the paper around. "Location, Hunter's Association Headquarters. Time, December 24th...So it's in about a week." Killua looks up after reading.

"You're going, right?" Killua asks.

"Yeah! Definitely! We might be able to meet some old people there." Gon replies happily.

"I might not be able to go with you...though." Killua says quietly, his tone is the complete opposite of Gon's.

"Huh? Why not?" Gon asks.

"I don't think I can go with you. But I can go by myself though. Since they said 'To Ging and his family'."

"Oh. It's about that." Gon lifts his injured arm and wraps it around Killua's neck. "Killua, as far as I'm concerned, you are my family!"


	18. Chapter 18 - Enjoy x The x Detours

**Chapter 18 - Enjoy x The x Detours**

"Gon! Cut that out! It's embarrassing." Killua's cheeks flush bright red after hearing Gon say those words.

"Huh? I really mean it." Gon says.

"You don't have to say it out loud everytime." Even though Killua words are harsh, but they contradicts his inner feelings. Multiple things are going through his mind right now. Most of them are based around " _What makes someone an ideal friend?"._ Before, Killua didn't know the answer to that question, however, now he can answer clearly and without hesitation.

Gon doesn't pursue any longer, he stares into Killua's eyes and smiles, which makes Killua's cheeks blush even more red.

Aunt Mito on the side laughs at their childish, friend, yet meaningful act. "Alright Gon, you should give your friend a break. Can't you tell he doesn't want to talk to you right now?"

"Oh...Mrs. Freecss, by no means I'm tired, it's just..Gon's words…" Killua doesn't want to admit the real reason, so he stutters upon saying it.

"You can also call me Aunt Mito. Since we're all family now, take that honorific off, will you?" She gives Killua a kind, motherly smile.

"Right. Aunt Mito." Killua smiles lightly, however his heart is overwhelmed by warm welcomes.

This is his first time in his life, where Killua feels the joy of being in a family.

"Oh. I'm full." After finishing up his breakfast, Gon puts down his bowl and heads for the door. "Killua, let's go! Let's go have some fun on the island today."

"Okay. Lemme finish this quickly." Killua stuffs a whole piece of bread into his mouth. "Thanks for the food, Aunt Mito!" Killua says.

"No worries. Gon. Are you sure you're going to play in the woods with all of your injuries?"

Mito asks, concerned.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me. I can already move around freely in these crutches. I might be a little slow, but we'll manage." Gon shoots his aunt a thumbs up. Then he turns his attention to Killua. "Speaking of which….Killua! Gimme a piggyback ride again and use your godspeed!"

"Hehe...Gon..I don't know if I should do it right now…" Killua half smiles and half teases Gon.

"Please Killua, please, please, please, please, please..."

"Knowing you, you're not going to stop until I agree, right?"

"You know it." Gon laughs and goes back to begging, "Killua please, please, please…"

"Fine, get on then." After a few minutes of relentless badgering from Gon, Killua finally agrees.

"Hehe. Bye Aunt Mito!" The two boys say together. In the next instant, they are off. The last thing they hear is Aunt Mito saying "Woah!"

The rest of their morning is filled with their shouts and laughs. Once in a while, Gon will tell Killua to stop for a little if there is something cool that he wants him to see. Killua would stop when Gon asks him to, and the two of them have a really good time together.

The two boys catches a fish in the lake for their lunch. The two sit down on the damp grass, under the shadow of a tree and enjoys the food while being in nature. The sun shines on them from directly above.

"Mmm...This fish is really fresh, but too bad we don't have any seasonings" Killua says.

"We don't need it. Because you are my seasoning when my life is bland." Gon smiles.

"Huh? Gon! Quit it!" Killua's face blushes bright right.

"Heh, Killua, you're kinda cute when you're embarrassed."

"One more nonsense word and I'll leave by myself, and leave you here." Killua tries to threaten Gon, but Gon remains smiling.

"You won't do that. There's no way you would."

"Try me."

"Mmm...Okay. Killua, you look so cute when you're embarrassed." Gon repeats his previous sentence.

Instead of making Killua feel bad for himself because he knows Killua can't keep his threat and couldn't leave him, Gon broaches another subject.

"Killua, I want to ask you about something...It's something Ging said to me when we met for the first time, atop the World Tree."

"What is it?"

"What does this mean?" Gon asks, " _You should enjoy the little detours. To the fullest. Because that's where you'll find the things more important than what you want."_

"That's some philosophical line right there." Killua jokes, "So...he said this to you...considering that you just met...I think I have a rough idea." Killua puts his hand up to his chin in deep contemplation.  
"Really? What does it mean?"Gon asks excitedly.

"Before I tell you, tell me what do you think?"

"I don't know...it's way too fancy for me." Gon covers his face with his hands and groans in frustration.

You can't figure anything from that sentence?" Killua asks. " _I honestly don't know how Gon is older than me. He's still a little kid. His mind is, at least."  
_ "Nope, I don't have anything. Killua, just tell me."

"Alright. What was it that you wanted two years ago. Meaning, what was your goal for that trip?" Killua asks.

"Umm...To find Ging."

"But you didn't only find Ging, right? What did you find other than Ging?" Killua asks again. This time, however, he looks at Gon with earnest eyes.

"Killua! Stop asking me questions! Just tell me already!"

"No. Hold on, Gon. Just answer these questions… Please."

"I haven't heard you use 'please' in a while...Alright." Gon says. "Other than Ging, I found….friendship….I met you, Kurapika, and Leorio. I..no, we got a lot stronger along the way. And we kinda saved the world along the way, by exterminating the Chimera Ants."

"I don't know if this is true, but I think you enjoy one of the things you listed above more than your father." Killua's looks up at Gon timidly. His mouth resembles a mix between a smile and a frown.

Without saying a word, however, Gon leaps into Killua's arms. "Thank you, Killua."

"Gon! Gon! Calm down! What did I do?" Killua shouts. While pretending to push Gon off, deep down inside, his feeling is the complete opposite.

"Now that you explained it, the sentence my dad said is absolutely correct. I'm really happy I took that detour...And yes, you are correct. I did find someone greater than my original goal."

"Oh...I wouldn't say I'm greater than your father…" Killua averts his eyes and stares at the ground when hit with a sudden compliment.

Gon slowly puts his head onto the grass, he stares at the cloudless sky. Suddenly, he realises something.

"Killua."

"Yeah?"

"Am I a nuisance?" Gon suddenly asks. This question reminds Killua of his sister, Alluka. She once asked the same exact question to him.

"What makes you think that, Gon?"

"I can be a real pain to deal with. I know. Earlier today, I begged you to carry me around with your ability. And ten minutes ago, I had to ask you what the sentence Ging told me meant because of my own inability to figure it out."

"No, Gon, that isn't….." Before Killua can finish, however, Gon cuts him off.

"Killua, stop. I know it is true. But what's bothering me isn't that. It's how I do all of this annoying stuff and you never say a single negative thing about me. It's that!" Words and emotions start to consume Gon, he can no longer stop talking, not until all of it have gushed out.

"Gon. I will never say a single bad thing about you…" Gon cuts him off again, however, this time, Gon…

"Just yell at me! Killua! Say I'm a bad friend! Say I'm a bad person! Shout it out!"

"Gon! I will never say those words to you! Never! Because we're friends! Friends don't say that sort of stuff to each other!" Finally, Killua raises his volume.

"Killua! You're saying that you won't get mad at me just simply because we're...friends? I don't believe that!"

"Gon! If friendship isn't the reason, then why in the whole goddamn world would I still be living with a pain in the ass like you?!"

" _-hk!"_

After hearing that last line, both of them stop talking. Gon has his mouth open in mid air, however, he shuts it back down. His expression gradually changes from angry to bewildered.

It's like the time freezes between them. None of them move a single muscle. They sit there quietly. Until...

"Killua...You..." Gon looks at Killua. Then realises that he's been crying the whole time."Oh."

"Gon...You don't understand...all of the things you did for me...Back then...You cannot even imagine the joy I felt in my heart when one of the butlers in the Zoldyck Family told me that you were coming to find me...That moment, even though I was being beaten, lashed at, and tortured, when I heard those words, I was the happiest person in the world...I've been betrayed so many times before. At first, I thought you were also one of them. But… you came back for me...That time too, on Greed Island. When we were playing dodgeball against Razor, you chose me to hold the ball for you despite all of my wounds on my hands. I still remember the exacts words you said. ' _It has to be Killua, he's the only one who can do it!'_ I might not have reacted to this dramatically back then, but deep down, in my heart, it certainly made a dent there. …..Sure, you can be annoying sometimes, but that will never, and I mean never, change my opinion of you. Because you, Gon, you are my reason to believe."

The two stay silent for another moment,

"Killua, I mean that much to you?" Still not believing the words that just came out of his friend's mouth, Gon asks.

"I'll do anything for you, Gon. Right now, if you tell me to die," Killua raises his hand and sharpens his nails into claws, "I'll cut my own head off for you." He brings his hand right next to his neck.

"Killua. I'm really lucky to have you as a friend." Gon gets on his knees and does a "kowtow" to Killua.

"W-wait… Gon."

Gon ignores him. "I'm sorry that I underestimated our friendship, I'm sorry that I underestimated you."

"Gon! Get up! Don't do that to me!"

"Not until you accept my apology."

"Okay! Gon. I accept your apology! Please get up now!"

Gon slowly brings his body up, "Killua, will you forgive me for being a bad friend?"

He smiles, "Of course."


	19. Chapter 19 - The Night x Before x Depart

**Chapter 19 - The Night x Before x Departure**

After spending the rest of the afternoon out in the woods, the two boys happily return home while joking and laughing at dawn. Killua is lending Gon a hand as he walks so Gon won't fall from his injuries. When the two push open the front door to the house, they are greeted by two people instead of one.

"Ah Great-grandma Abe! Hello! Long time no see!" Gon smiles when he sees this elderly figure. Abe and Mito are sitting at the table, both sipping their hot tea.

"Ah. Gon. Come here, let me get a better look at you." Abe says.

Gon hops over to his great-grandma. Killua quickly takes a chair from the other side of the room and puts it in front of her for Gon to sit down.

"Oi! Gon, why are you limping? Are you hurt?" Abe asks.

"Nah. I'm fine." Gon forces his face into a smile.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Abe stands up and pats Gon on the shoulder, forgetting that he is wounded. Gon winces at the pain but keeps mis mouth shut.

Instead of walking over to her room as everybody expects, she slowly walks over to Killua, and says, "I'm glad you're still with Gon, Killua."

Surprised and a bit flustered, Killua panics, "Oh..Um..i-it's no...p-problem..."

Mito laughs Killua's lose of words. But when Killua turns his face around and stares at her, she walks off awkwardly into the kitchen and changes the topic. "Dinner's going to be ready in fifteen. You boys go take a shower. Leave your dirty clothes out. I'll do the laundry."

Killua smiles and looks at Gon, "Better not make her mad like last time. Hehe."

"Yup! You're right!" Gon agrees. And the two hurry up the stairs into their room.

While Gon and Killua are showering together upstairs, Mito walks over to Abe and asks, "Why did you thank Killua for staying with Gon? That was kind of weird."

"He's Gon's first friend, so he should cherish him. I didn't want them to part ways…"

"Still. Don't you think you saying that is a little inappropriate? And plus, Gon knows what he likes best."

"Mmm...you're right, i suppose."

Even though they can't hear exactly what's going on upstairs, but they can hear Gon and Killua's laughs. And occasionally they can hear Killua yelling "Gon! Stop splashing water at me!"

Abe and Mito smile at each other as they listen to the two boys above. They are truly happy for the two of them.

Ten minutes later, Gon and Killua come crashing down the stairs in their pajamas.

"Gon!" Mito yells, "What happened to your bandages?"

"My bleeding stopped, so I took them off."

"That quickly? Jesus! How fast do you heal?" Mito exclaims.

"But some bones still hurt though. I still have to watch out for that."

"Alright, enough talking. Let's sit down have dinner." Mito signals to the table, and the four of them sit down.

"Hehe." Killua whispers to Gon, who is sitting to his right. "I remember that we have to 'offer our thanks' or whatever before we eat, right?"

"Yeah. We're doing that right now. By the way, you're not supposed to talk during it."

"Heh...oops."

There are all sorts of food on the table, ranging from fish to meat and to veggies.

"Alright, let's dig in!" Gon and Killua are the first ones to act. Stuffing their faces with meatballs while mumbling "This is good!"

"Did you guys get a chance to think about the Party invitation from the Hunter's Association?" Mito asks.

"Nah...We were busy...Hehe" Gon raises his hand and Killua high fives him. "But we're going, right?"

"You boys can go if you want. I'll stay here with Abe." Mito says.

"Aww Aunt Mito you're not coming?"

"No, sorry Gon. It would be hard for Abe to travel to all the way over there. So I'll stay here to take care of her."

Sensing that he can't change her mind, Gon stops pursuing.

"When'll we leave?" Killua speaks up.

"Oh...It'll take you guys about two or three days to get there. If you want to get there a day early, maybe tomorrow afternoon's flight. So you'll leave tomorrow at noon"

"I was hoping we'd get a break…" Gon mumbles. "But now we're going to be busy again."

"You're going to a party, it's a break. You'll meet new people!" Mito says.

"Alright. Killua, let's go pack and then go to bed. Since there's not much to do now." Gon starts to go up the stairs, and Killua follows him.

"Good night!" Killua says to Mito and Abe. They smile in return and says, "you too."

When they get into their room, Killua asks, "Gon, what's the matter? You look depressed."

"It's just…" Gon answers, "I was hoping Aunt Mito would come with us...Wait! I just realized, the real Ging doesn't even know you yet!"

"Huh? What's the real Ging?...Oh, you mean not the 'Hisoka-Ging' that was here yesterday?"

"Yeah. If our theory is correct, and that was actually Hisoka, Ging doesn't know you! Oh man! I can't wait to introduce you to him!"

"What are you going to say to him?" Killua asks.

"Hmm...for now, I'll keep it a secret! Hehe!" Gon smirks.

"Whatever…"

The two of them go back to packing. However, they plan to keep their luggage light and only bring their backpacks. As a result, they have to only bring their essentials.

"Wait Killua…" Gon asks.

"Yeah?"

"Aunt Mito bought our tickets and booked our hotel right?"

"I don't know...I don't recall hearing her say it though. Why don't you go ask?"

"She gets mad when I ask her to do things that I can do myself." Gon says.

"I'll go ask then." Killua runs down the stairs in a hurry. Not able to catch Gon's last whisper, " _Thanks"_

He comes up a minute later, "Yeah, she did all of the work. We're good to go. We should go to bed early tonight, we have a long day ahead of us.

Killua shuts the light and the two climb into their bed. In the pitch dark room, Killua turns to face Gon and asks.

"Gon, do you ever get scared?"

"Sometimes...yeah."

"You always seem so fearless and confident on the battlefield."

"Oh...At least I try to be brave. Why do you ask? Do you get scared, Killua?"

"N-no, never. I don't get scared." Luckily for Killua, Gon can't see his reddened cheeks in the pitch darkness of the room.

"That ain't true, Killua. You might act tough, but your inside is as soft as a marshmallow."

Despite the darkness, Gon places his hand on Killua's. "How do you know my hand is there. You can't see in the dark room, can you?" Killua asks.

"I know you well enough." Gon light whispers.

"And w-why a marshmallow?" Stuttering on his words, Killua asks.

"Because from the outside, you're a normal person. But once you get to the inside, you're really sweet."

Killua clenches onto Gon's hand, not letting go. Killua's strength is hurting Gon, but he doesn't say a word. Gon slowly drifts off into his dream. Not knowing that the bed sheet directly under Killua's eyes is dampened by tears.


	20. Chapter 20 - The x Way x To Yorknew

**Chapter 20 - The x Way x To Yorknew**

Gon and Killua wake up the next morning at the crack of dawn because they went to bed early last night. They head downstairs quietly and make breakfast themselves without disturbing the still sleeping Aunt Mito. It's still fairly dark outside, so they decide to stay in the house.

"Gon, do you like to live a busy life?" Killua asks.

"Huh? Why do you ask?" Gon looks up from the food on his plate.

"Uh...I don't know...Kinda because I remember you said you were hoping to get a break once we arrive here. But now we have to attend this party."

"Hey, the party isn't mandatory, we don't have to go. The only reason we're going is I want to introduce you to Ging."

"How do you know he'll go?"

"Trust me, after living with him for more than a year, if the Hunter's association asks him to do anything, he'll do it."

"Mmm, okay…." Killua's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs.

"Looks like Aunt Mito is up." Gon whisper.

"Boys! Are you down there?" Her loud voice pierces through the silence of everywhere else.

"Yeah. Killua and I are having breakfast."

She hurries down the stairs, "Why did you guys wake up so early? You need more sleep because of this trip."

"We're fine, don't worry about us." Gon says.

"Is everything packed?" She asks.

"Uh...yeah. By the way, the Holiday party takes place in what city again?"

"Gon! You're leaving at noon and you don't even know where you're going?"

"Aunt Mito, calm down."

"Right...sorry. I got a little bit carried away...You're going to Yorknew."

"Ughh.." Gon shivers at the name "Yorknew" their encounter with the Phantom Troupe there two years ago is still fresh in his mind. Killua too, has a similar response to Gon.

The rest of the morning goes by quickly and quietly. The two boys stay in their room, reading the whole time. When the clock hits twelve o'clock. Mito yells at them to from downstairs, "Boys! You're leaving! Hurry up and get down here!"

They run down the stairs with their bags and see Aunt Mito and Abe at the front door.

"Take the boat to get to the airport. Your flight leaves at four." Mito says quietly with quivering lips.

"Aunt Mito...Are you okay?" Gon asks soothingly.

With this last sentence, the dam within her burst. Tears start to stream out of her eyes wildly and uncontrollably. Her appearance now looks nothing like a mother, instead, it resembles a baby.

Gon walks up and embraces his aunt. "Aunt Mito, I promise, I'll come back safely. You don't have to worry."

The group start to walk toward the direction of the port. Even though the walk is around five hundred yards, to Gon and Mito, it only feels like twenty yards. Their remaining time shrinks shorter and shorter as they get closer to the port. Finally, they bid their final goodbyes as Gon and Killua steps onto the boat.

"I'll miss you, Gon!"

"Bye Abe!...and bye…" Gon hesitates for a second, but only a second, "Bye mom!"

Mito's body shakes as she hears the word, mom. It's the first time someone has called her by that. A smile emerges from her sorrowful, tearful face.

Killua is standing by himself, alone in the corner on the other end of the boat when he hears Mito say, "Bye Killua! I hope you'll come back with Gon next time!"

Like a lost child finally finding his long-lost parents, Killua hurries over to the other end, waves his hand and yells," I promise, Aunt Mito! I'll be back with Gon!"

The two boys now stand in front of the Airport Terminal. After getting off the taxi, they make their way inside.

"Jeez! That taxi driver! Basically begging for the extra tip. Idiot!"

"Killua, just let it go."

"I'm just trying to save your money."

"Okay, you got two things wrong. Number one, it's our money, not my money. By the way, I told Aunt Mito to change the owner of the account to both you and me. And second, it's only a couple Jennys, not a big deal." Gon smiles and pats him on the back.

"Huh? When? When did you change your credit card settings?" Killua shouts.

"I honestly forgot...hehe...But that's not important. Let's check in and find a spot near our gate. This time we're on an airplane instead of an airship...Man, I like airships more. You actually have your own room and it's a lot more spacious." Gon complains.

"But to be fair, airplanes are much faster."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

They hurry toward the check-in counter.

"Mmm, looks like we have first class again!" Killua looks down at the two plane tickets in his hands.

After checking in they head for security, and they also go through that with no problem.

"So...we have an hour and a half until we have to board. Let's go have some lunch then." Killua suggests.

"Alright, sounds good."

After deciding among themselves without creating an argument, they settle on eating at a steakhouse.

Knowing that they'll be on the plane for the next ten hours, Killua plans to only eat a minimal amount. However, Gon, on the other hand, is starving.

"Killua, why aren't you eating your food? It's going to go cold soon." Gon looks at Killua's steak on the table.

"I took two bits. It's good, but I don't want to use the bathroom on the plane frequently."

"Then lemme have some of yours." Gon says.

"Gon, I already ate from it. I already touched it."

Gon looks up from his food, smiles and says "I know, but I don't mind if it's you. Hehe."

"Umm...are you sure? Killua asks.

Gon doesn't even answer him, he's already eating it.

okay then." Killua fixes his gaze onto Gon, looking at him peacefully and happily.

After a while, Gon notices his friend's stare, he looks up and asks, "What?"

"Oh..umm..nothing." Killua suddenly averts his gaze and looks out the window next to them.

"Come one, Killua, what were you up to?" Gon nudges him slightly and teases him.

"I said nothing!" Killua shouts.

"Okay! Okay! You don't have to get so mad." Gon goes back to eating. Killua returns to staring at Gon when he thinks Gon isn't looking. However, from the corner of Gon's eyes, he sees Killua smiling at him as his gaze locks back onto himself.

The two boys finish eating and head toward Gate 15. After idly sitting there reading quietly for an hour, they are definitely not ready to spend another ten hours doing the same thing on the plane. Since they woke up super early today, they manage to fall asleep during the flight. They sleep all the way through landing.

"Huh? We're here already?" The sudden jerk of the plane landing wakes the two of them up.

"Wow, that was quick." Killua draws the shade of window open to his right. The morning sun blinds their sleeping eyes. It takes a while for them to adjust. "Wow, we slept through the entire ten hours."

"Yeah. Looks like it. But I'm so hungry! Let's hurry up, get off the plane, go to the Hunter's Associations Headquarters, and claim our rooms. I'm pretty sure the earlier you arrive, the better the rooms you get." Killua says.

"Ohh! Let's hurry up then!"

They get off of the plane and out of the terminal. After getting into a Taxi, Gon and Killua leave the airport for the Headquarter.

"Wow, this place changed quite a bit since the last time we were here." Gon says as he gazes at the city through the car window.

"Yeah, they did a lot of reconstruction after the attack of the Phantom Troupe two years ago. They built a lot of new buildings and an underground walkway." Killua explains.

"Look!" Gon points at a tall building in the distance, "That's the Hunter's Association Headquarter!"

"Wow, it isn't that far away from the airport."

They get off the car five minutes later in front of the Headquarter building. As they are walking in the main entrance, they are starting to see some familiar faces.

However, one, in particular, catches Gon's attention.

"Ging…!"


	21. Chapter 21 - Introduction and Reunion

**Chapter 21 - Introduction x And x Reunion**

At the other end of the lobby, stands Ging. He's talking to a receptionist. However, he turns around, waves and starts to walk toward them when he hears his son's voice.

"Dad! Hi!" Gon shouts.

"Shh! Gon! This is a really formal situation, keep it down." Ging says quietly. "And who's this kid?" Ging points to the silver-haired boy next to Gon.

Gon smiles and shouts, "He's my best friend in the entire world! Meet Killua Zoldyck!"

Killua's cheeks turns bright red. He looks at the ground to avert Gon and Ging's gaze.

"Ah! You're the kid that Gon was talking about " Ging says.

"Dad, you don't have to go into the details."

"Yo Killua, did you know Gon cried so many times over you over the last year?" Ging Jokes.

"Dad!"

"Really?" Killua turns around and smiles at Gon.

"Oh God! So embarrassing!" Gon groans in discomfort.

"Additionally," Ging continues, "You're a Zoldyck…"

" _Why''d he say that? Is he going to keep me away from Gon just because I'm a Zoldyck?" "Is he going to be like Illumi and say I'm going to betray Gon?...Ugh...why?!"_ All of these thoughts appear in Killua's mind. However, instead of condemning Killua, Ging says,

"Hey, don't look at me like with that disgusted look."I'm glad that Gon can make friend with a Zoldyck." Ging walks to him and pats him on the back. "Well, nice to meet you kid."

In an instant, like a piece of wax near heat, Ging's words melts Killua's heart. " _He's way nicer than I thought…"_

"I-I never expected that parents will be happy when they hear their kid is a friend of an assassin." Killua says quietly.

"There's gotta be a first time for everything, right? And plus, I can tell you had no hostile intent. And you're trying really hard to be friends with Gon too." Ging looks at him with a fatherly look.

"Right…" Killua murmurs.

"Alright, you two boys can go to the front desk over there to check in," Ging points toward the reception table that he was at. "Get your room and just chill out during the day. You can rent two tuxedos for the party tonight."

"Ohh! Tuxedos! Fancy!" Gon exclaims.

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Freecss." Killua says.

"C'mon, take that 'Mister' off, will you? Even Gon just calls me Ging. So you just call me by my first name too, okay?"

"Gladly." Killua smiles, "Bye Ging!"

"Bye dad!" Gon also shouts as they make their over to the reception area.

"So the rumor was right." Killua says, "They do give you better rooms when you arrive early."

The two boys are currently in the elevator, travelling to the 19th, the 2nd top-most floor. They've checked into the hotel through the reception.

"But Killua, you know we could've asked for separate rooms for the two of us, right?"

"I know, but that would mean no more pillows fights." Killua laughs. "Why? Do you not like spending time with me?"

"Of course I do! It's just…."

"Just what?"  
"Mmmm...nevermind."

With a "ding" from the elevator, they've arrived at the 19th floor. After dropping off their belongings in their room,

"Now, let's find a way to kill some time… The party's at night and we have a full day left. Let's go pick up or tuxedos, shall we?" Killua says.

They make their way back to the elevator, which has gone back to the ground floor already. When it finally comes back up onto the 19th floor, it carries a surprise with them.

"Kurapika and Lioreo!" Gon screams as the elevator door opens.

"It's Leorio!"

"Oi! Gon and Killua, it's nice to see you two again." Kurapika waves at them from the back of the elevator. They wave back in return.

"Hey old man, you're still wearing your classic suit and tie?"

"I'm not old! I'm still in….wait no….I turned twenty…Well...I'm still not that old."

"How are your doctor studies, Leorio?" Gon asks.

"Pretty good! I'm almost done with it. Thanks for asking."

"And Kurapika! How is it going with you? Did you...uhh...recover...your….scarlet eyes?"

"That was a really long time ago. I think I recovered them around the same time you and Killua parted at the world tree. I've just been working as a bodyguard for the Nostrade family. Nothing special. They're pretty nice to me. Even agreed to let me attend this party and still pay me."

"Well that's good." Killua comments.

"So were you two together the whole time? Gon asks."

"Uh..no. We've just met yesterday."

"Mmm Okay. How did you know Killua and I parted?"

"Hey buddy! We read your posts on social media, believe it or not. Even the poems you wrote for Killua.

"Wait what! Gon! You wrote poems about me!"

"Well...hehe...I..um"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I remember a few, if you want to hear them." Leorio asks.

"Leorio...why…?" Gon sighs in embarrassment.

"Here's the first one:

 _When I look up at the night sky,_

 _I realize you are no longer by my side._

 _Your voice ringing like a chime,_

 _Just by hearing it, I can die._

 _Oh! How painful and cruel separation can be!_

 _Without you, I can never be free,_

 _Without you, I am incomplete._

 _All of the blood and tears you shed for me,_

 _They're hideous to others, but to me, they're sweet._

 _Something's missing, next to me,_

 _Someone should be here, or used to be._

 _The pain of departure can be the most painful thing,_

 _It pierces my heart, mercilessly._

 _We now have our own goals to aim,_

 _If someone hurts you, I'll take full blame._

 _Don't get too obsessed, enjoy happiness along the way,_

 _My friend forever, "Killua" is his name._

 _Please take care, and I wish you find joy._

 _No matter where you go, remember, "Nothing gold can stay._

… _._

The three of the four are trying to hide their tears after hearing Gon's poem. The other one, the silver-haired boy, is crying uncontrollably while muttering the name of the author of this poem, his friend, "Gon".

"I-I...n-never knew….I m-mean….that...m-much to y-you." With this last sentence, Killua falls onto the ground. No, not because of sorrow.

-But because of happiness and joy.


	22. Chapter 22 - Come x Dance x With Me

**Chapter 22 - Come x Dance x With Me**

"Killua." Gon says.

"Yeah?"

"I've never seen someone cry like the way you did earlier this afternoon."

"Well, to be fair, it's not everyday where someone write you a poem saying how much they missed you."

"Heh." Gon smiles. The two boys are currently changing into their suits for the prom that they're about to attend.

"Woah! This tuxedo looks so nice on me!" Gon exclaims as he looks into the mirror.

"That's why they're tuxedos, you dummy." Killua says.

Gon turns around and admires his friend. "You look super handsome and cute in it too!"

"What?! That's….um...weird." Suddenly feeling flustered, Killua averts his gaze.

"Why's that?" Gon asks.

"B'cause a boy shouldn't call another boy cute or handsome."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Cuz it's weird...you'know…"

Gon can tell Killua is getting uncomfortable, so he decides to change the subject. "Anyway, the party is about to begin soon. Aren't you excited?"

"We have a bigger Holiday Dinner later this week though, pretty sure that's going to be even more hype than this prom ...Wait...Gon. Do you have a date?" Killua asks.

"Yup!" Gon smiles.

"You do?! When?! I was with you the entire time! When did you get the chance to?" Because Killua himself doesn't have a date, so he's mad at Gon getting one without telling him and singling him out.

"That's a secret right now, Killua. But you'll see."

"Ugh...whatever." Killua groans. " _I honestly though Gon would at least tell me about him getting a girl. Wait...he only forgot to tell me...right? Or was it on purpose? Ugh...I just hope Gon isn't the type of person who wants to be ahead of me in everything."_

Just then, the big clock outside rings seven times, and the door to the banquet hall opens. The two boys head into the hall in their nice-looking tuxedos, Gon immediately exclaim in happiness as they see the size of the place.

"Yo! This is sick! Look at the size of this place, it's gotta be as big as half of a football field! Look at all of these chandeliers! This romantic background is pretty smooth too."

"You've never seen a dance hall before?" Killua asks.

"Uh...no. Have you?"

"Yeah! My family has one in the estate. I think it might be even bigger than this one. Although we never use it."

Since they are among the first ones to arrive, the place is still mostly empty, but more people are beginning to come in and to fill up the place.

When the clock hits 7:30, almost everyone has already arrived.

"Okay, so this dance thing isn't really formal. It's not organized or anything. I mean, there no announcer telling us when to dance or whatever." Killua murmurs. "Say...Gon. Is your date here?"

"Mmm….yup!"

"You wanna tell me where she's at me right now?"

"Gimme five minutes. I'm still kinda nervous." Gon rubs his hand against each other anxiously.

"Mmm, okay."

They look around the hall and spots both Leorio and Kurapika dancing with their own date. Leorio's fumbling his steps, it's actually quite funny and embarrassing.

Just as Killua is lost watching the others dance and feeling sorry for himself because he doesn't have a dance partner, Gon turns around and says, "Killua, come dance with me!"

"Huh? What?" Embarrassed and shocked at the same time, Killua's cheeks flushes red and he takes a few steps backward. "Don't you have your own date...Wait...am I...?"

"Yup! You got it!" Gon extends his right hand, "come dance with me."

"This is just weird." Even though he's declining Gon's invitation verbally, he unconsciously reaches Gon's hand with his own. "You're not uncomfortable with this?"

"With what?"

"You dancing with another boy?"

Gon yanks Killua forward, until they're standing right in front of each other. "Why would I be?"

"Others might...ya'know...think we're weird."

Who cares what others think of us. We just have to enjoy ourselves, right?" Gon begins to take a few steps, Killua unconsciously follows him.

After dancing for a little bit, they begin to move from the corner to the center of the banquet. Gazes brush past them, however, are easily ignored by Gon and Killua.

" _This honestly isn't so bad. If I don't care about how Gon and I look, we'll enjoy ourselves more."_

"Gon." Killua says, "You played it pretty well."

"Played what?"

"I actually thought you had a dance partner."

"Well, I do have one. I'm dancing with him right now."

"Uh..that's not what I meant...I meant a female counterpart." Killua whispers quietly.

"Who said it has to be a girl? And plus, we're just dancing, nothing weird about that, right?"

"Yeah...you're right."

Gon opens his mouth to say something, but then shuts it.

"Yeah Gon? What?"

"It's...nothing." Suddenly embarrassed, Gon's cheeks turn red.

"Mmm...I do have a few guesses on what you were going to say." Killua teases.

"Just stop thinking about it. Please. It's nothing important."

"Alright."

Kurapika and Leorio both give them a thumbs up and smiles when they spot the two boys.

They make their way to the center, dancing in the most conspicuous spot in the hall.

Gon looks directly into Killua's eyes, "I know I've already said this, but Killua, you look really nice in that suit."

"So do you, Gon. You look good too."

None of them have danced before, they don't know any of the moves, occasionally tripping over each other. They don't know what they're doing, but they enjoy themselves all the same. Through a sea of confusions and smiles, Gon and Killua, the two best friends, begin their nonsense dance.


	23. Chapter 23 - Intruders x At the x Party

**Chapter 23 - Intruders x At the x Party**

The next few days of Gon and Killua's stay at the Hunter Association headquarter goes by happily and peacefully. However, they haven't seen many familiar faces besides Kurapika and Leorio. Today is December the 24th, the Christmas Party will happen later this evening.

"Gon! Get changed fast! We only have like five minutes left!"

"This isn't even a prom, it's only a party, I don't understand why we have to wear tuxedos again."

"Me neither, but you said we looked good in them, didn't you?"

"That's true…" Gon murmurs quietly.

"So hurry up and put it on! I'll wait for you outside." Killua walks out of the changing room. The moment he does, however, a familiar voice says, "Well, well, well. Isn't this Killua?"

"Huh?" Killua turns around, "Oh! Master Wing (Wing-san) and Zushi! Hello there! Haven't seen you two in a while."

"Mmm...I can tell that you haven't lost your touch of Nen. Where's Gon? Did you two separate during the past years?"

"Uh...he's changing in that room. By the way, your shirt is still untucked."

"Oh. Oops. Excuse me."

Killua points toward the changing room. "Gon and I did leave each other for a year, but then we got back together miraculously on a plane ride… Ah! Speaking of Gon, here he comes."

"Oh hi! Master Wing and Zushi!" Gon says as he walks over to the group. "I heard that Zushi became a floor master in Heaven's Arena, didn't he?"

"Yeah! I did!" Zushi yells happily. "I'd like to challenge you two to a fight one day. I've improved!"

"Yeah...sorry buddy, you still won't stand a chance." Killua says.

"Killua! Don't say that in front of him!" Gon whispers quietly.

Another voice joins the conversation, "Mmm everyone's here already."

The group turns around at the voice of an unexpected speaker, "Oh! Hey Bisky!" Gon yells.

"What?! You guys can call him Master Wing, but no honorifics for me?!" She yells.

"Well, we can call you a hag. Hehe." Killua points at her and laughs.

As a result of Killua's comment, Bisky sends him flying into the sky.

"It feels so good to be together again, doesn't it?" Gon says. "Let's go into the hall now!"

The group makes their way in. It's the same banquet hall that Gon and Killua danced in five days ago. However, the decoration in it changed so much you can barely tell it's the same one.

Instead of an empty room for dancing, today, there are many round tables in it. Guests are starting to fill into the empty tables.

"Woah! There's a huge fireplace in the middle of the room, it wasn't there before." Gon shouts.

"Yeah,, it really ties this whole place together. It feels very cozy." Killua says. "Let's find a place for us to sit."

"So...do we just pick whatever table we want?" Zushi asks.

Suddenly, Gon notices Kurapika and Leorio sitting at a table together, waving at him.

"Killua, should we go sit with Kurapika and Leorio, or stay with these guys. Three other people are already at Kurapika and Leorio's table, so it can only fit three more."

"Ohh...tough choice." Killua answers.

"Oh I know! I have an idea!"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Why don't we tell the other three at their table to move." Gon suggests.

"Tsk...so naive. Gon, next time, try to think deeper, okay? But for this time….Let's do it!"

Before they can make their way over there, however, there's a huge tremor, the whole building shakes.

"Huh? What was that?" Gon asks.

"Everyone duck down! There's gunfire outside!" Wing shouts.

The entire hall turns into a mess. Chairs and tables knocked over, people trampling over one another. Suddenly, the front door of the hall bursts open, in comes ten people. Ten ridiculously familiar people.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Killua groans when he sees the intruders. "Why is it the Phantom Troupe?!"

 _(Side note to readers: Phantom Troupe members are:_

 _Head (#o): Chrollo Lucilfer_

 _#1: Nobunaga Hazama_

 _#2: Feitan Portor_

 _#3: Machi Komocine_

 _#4: Kalluto Zoldyck_

 _#5: Phinks Magcub_

 _#7: Franklin Bordeau_

 _#8: Shizuku Murasaki_

 _#10: Bonolenov Ndongo_

 _#11: Illumi Zoldyck_

 _#6, #9, and #12 no longer exists. )_

"Franklin, do your thing!"

"Franklin, do your thing!"

"Ya got it, chief!... Double Machine Gun!" Franklin's Nen power is to fire bullet bullets made out of Nen from his fingers and an incredible rate. Leaving his victims nowhere to hide. "Haha! Scream! You people!"

The bullets pierce through walls and tables, leaving no escape route. However, some more skilled hunters are able to shield themselves with "Ken."

"Killua! What do we do?!" Gon yells at his friend to his right.

However, he doesn't answer, he has his eyes fixed at one person in the group, Illumi.

"No! Whatever you're thinking, don't do it! You'll lose. You can't win ]one against ten!" Gon tries to persuade him, but it's useless. Killua can't even hear him right now.

Before Gon even finishes talking, however, someone else leaps into the air, toward the Phantom Troupe, his eyes are scarlet colored.

"Chain Jail!" With that command, a chain launches from his middle finger aimed directed toward the head of the Spiders.

"Kurapika no!" Leorio calls out for his friend. However, it's too late. The momentum continues to propel him forward...directly toward Nobunaga's incoming blade.

"Kurapika's body is going to get chopped in half! I have to stop that from happening! Killua is focused on his older brother. Wing, Bisky, and Zushi are busy helping the wounded. I have to be the one!" With this final thought, Gon leaps toward the Nobunaga.

"First come rock! Rock….paper…" Gon tries to charge up his ability in mid-air. However, because Gon's devoted all of his Nen and attention into his fist, the rest of his body is left unguarded. Before Gon even notices it, Machi already has her Nen strings tied around him.

Gon's effort to save Kurapika does work, though. Nobunaga had to spare some attention to make sure Gon's isn't in serious range with him. As a result, his blade only hits Kurapika's right arm.

"Damn!" Kurapika groans in pain as he backs off. "I can't heal myself with my Holy Chain. I can't even use any of my chains now because of my right arm."

Gon, on the other hand, isn't so lucky. Because of all the Nen strings around him, he's tied up, hanging onto the wall.

Which means that the only two people still available to fight are Killua and Leorio. But the only person who's able to actually deal damage to the Phantom Troupe is Killua.

Suddenly, Illumi speaks up, "Kil, you're the only one left. You wanna hand yourself in, or watch your beloved friend die?" Illumi points at Gon on the wall.

"Why?" Killua murmurs. Then the whisper turns to a shout, "I'm tired of killing and fighting! Why can't Gon and I live a normal, happy life?!"

The aura around him suddenly explodes, "I don't care how many people you have in your stupid group. I'll take you all on!"

Two minutes have passed since the Phantom Troupe made its entrance. The battle has only just begun.


	24. Chapter 24 - Killua x And x Illumi

Chapter 24 - Killua x And x Illumi

"Kil, I'd be careful if I were you. You're about to fight the entire Phantom Troupe by yourself." Illumi says.

"Couldn't care less." Before Killua's voice even trails off, he already behind Illumi. "Lightning palm!"

After successfully landing this ability, Kíllua immediately retreats back without getting caught.

"If I keep on doing trades like this, I can whittle all of them down. But I don't know when my Godspeed will run out."

"Kíllua! Run! You can't win." Gon manages to squeeze this sentence in before Illumi pierces his throat with a flying knife.

With blood dripping out of his throat, the sight of Gon's body dangling on the wall is truly hideous.

"Gon!" Kíllua yells. "Illumi! You'll pay for that!"

"I can't wait." Illumi whispers under his breath.

"Illumi and Kalluto. I'll give you two the pleasure of killing your own brother." Chrollo points at Kíllua, "Go ahead, don't disappoint me.

"I have no intentions of hurting Kal." Kíllua says without looking up.

"Me neither, Kil," Kalluto answers, "Why don't you join us, join your family." He begins to walk forward slowly, to Kíllua.

Killua turns his head to look at Gon, hanging on the wall. He thinks Gon's unconscious. "Tsk. You know what's family to me?" Kíllua points at Gon and yells. "He! He is my family! None of you are! Especially Illumi!" He thinks Gon doesn't hear his confession. However, the tips of Gon lips go upwards in a smile.

"Ahh, this is perfect! Three Zoldycks fighting among themselves! At the end of the day, at least one of you will die!" Phinks says with a devilish smile on his face.

"If we are no longer family, then we won't hold back when fighting you." Illumi warns, "This is your last chance."

"Neither will I!"

Seeing that they can't convince their brother, Illumi gives Kalluto a nod. Immediately following that, Kalluto raises his paper fan and spreads his confetti.

Before he can complete his attack, however, Killua zaps behind him. "Lightning Palm!" Because Kalluto devoted his Nen into his ability, there is a measly amount of Nen protecting his back. As a result, Killua's attack does a lot of damage to him.

"Ahhh!" Kalluto shrieks in pain and falls onto the ground.

"Was that too much? I only put a quarter of my power on that attack. I have no intention of killing my younger brother. I just want to prevent him from fighting me."

"Why'd you hold back?" Illumi asks from the side.

"Huh?"

"You didn't use your full power on that attack. Why didn't you? You could've killed him right there."

"I'm tired of killing the innocent." Killua mutters quietly.

"Are you kidding me? Innocent? We're the Phantom Troupe! Nobody here is innocent!"

"Kalluto hasn't done anything bad to me. Why would I kill him? Illumi, not everyone is as merciless as you."

"You might not get the chance to kill him once he wakes up."

"Whatever...Illumi, you're the only one left. You can't fight by yourself. And since all of the people that were here for the party have all evacuated and you can't use your needles to manipulate anyone, I can beat you so easily." Killua says as he walks toward his older brother.

"I never said I'll fight you." Seeing that Killua is approaching him, Illumi slowly retreats.

"Scared, huh?" Killua mocks him. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long." His eyes turn black, he walks toward Illumi emotionlessly. "Don't you get it, Illumi? You're useless without the help of others. You can't even fight your little brother." Killua suddenly leaps forward and closes the gap between the two. "This time, I won't even use my Nen. I'll kill you with the assassination technique that you taught me yourself." Killua distorts his face into a smile. It's not like any smiles he had when he was with Gon. This is the smile...of revenge."

"Kil!" Illumi gasps.

Killua raises his hands, "Snake awa….."

"Kirua stop!" A voice interrupts him. Killua's hands goes into a half in mid-air. He turns around to the source of the scream, it's Gon.

"Huh? Gon? You're still conscious? Why did you stop me? He's the person who commanded me to kill you! You don't want him to die now?"

"No." Gon answers calmly, "I don't want to see my friend become a murderer….After all, you hate being an assassin, don't you?"

Killua gulps after hearing his friend's sentence. "Yeah...Gon...thank you for stopping me."

Those were Killua's last words before Ilumi plants his manipulation needles in him.

"Well...Looks like Killua's gone. I doubt this kid over here in his current condition. I guess...that's mission accomplished?" Illumi claps his hands and walks up to the leader, Chrollo.

"Illumi!" Chrollo yells. " Aren't you ashamed of yourself! Your brother, who is more than ten years younger than you, just made fun of your uselessness in fighting."

"Well, I got him, didn't I?" Illumi points Killua, who is currently lying on the ground.

"Yeah, but because of Gon! If he didn't interrupt him, you'd be dead right now!"

"Well, I'm not dead. So...Ahhhh! My stomach!" Illumi suddenly screams in the middle of his sentence.

Killua gets up from the ground and pulls his claws out of his brother's stomach, his hands drenched with blood. He quietly says, "You are dead now."

"How'd you…." Illumi manages to say this with his last breath. "I had you under my control. How did you?"

Killua looks at his brother heartlessly. "You've done the same thing to me before. The same trick won't work twice on me. All I need is a feeling more significant than your manipulation to counter it.

"Well...I guess I underestimated you, Kil." With this last sentence, Illum collapses onto the ground.

"Tsk. That's what you get, Illumi. People who do dirty things will always end up at the dirtiest places." He nudges his brother's silent face with his feet. "Five years ago, in the Hunter's Exam, you said I couldn't make friends. Well, right now, here I am. Illumi, I've proved you wrong."

The hall falls silent, after a few minutes, Chrollo suddenly speaks up. "Killua. You fought well. I'll be looking forward to fighting you in the future. In the meantime, let's go. We're done here." He signals to his group.

"What? That wasn't fun. The rest of us didn't even get a chance to warm up!" Feitan starts to complain.

"Franklin, can you carry Kalluto and Illumi with you?" Chrollo asks.

"Sure thing, chief."

"What are you going to do with Illumi's corpse?" Killua asks.

"Return it to his family. As for what they'll do with it, I have no idea. But I will say this...don't be surprised when you fight him in the future." Chrollo answers with a sneaky smile.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"There is a special type of magic stone that can revive the dead. I wouldn't be so surprised if they use it on Illumi."

"Do they know about it?"

"The location of these magic stones is exactly under the Kukuroo Mountains. Exactly under the Zoldyck's estate." With that final sentence, the Phantom Troupe exits the banquet hall

The moment they're gone, Killua dashes toward Gon, who is still hanging on the wall.

He yells with a teary face. "Please Gon! Don't die! Stay with me! I need you!"


	25. Chapter 25 - Two x Friends x Separate

Chapter 25 - Two x Friends x Separate

The first thing Gon sees when he wakes up is a broken fan hanging on a messy ceiling. The only light around them is from a wavering candle on Gon's nightstand. He's currently lying on a small bed in an old hospital. A boy sits quietly to his right, his gaze is set on Gon the whole time.

"Gon! Oh thank god! You're awake!" Killua shouts when he sees Gon's eyes open. " I was so worried."

Gon opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. When he looks down, he notices that his throat is still injured from the fight against the Phantom Troupe.

"Gon, I'm sorry." Killua quietly mutters.

Not only that, his right hand and left leg are both wearing casts. These injuries don't stop him. He takes a pen and paper from his nightstand and writes:

"No, don't be sorry. Killua, I should thank you." He shows it to Killua.

"You're hurt….so severely. You won't be able to talk for at least a few weeks. Why are you still thanking me?" Killua sighs resignedly.

"But I didn't die, right? If you hadn't been there, I would've died for sure. So thank you, Killua." After writing this sentence, Gon hands it over to Killua and smiles as he waits for his friend to read it.

Killua's lips begin to tremble after reading it, his hands start to shake. Tears quietly roll down his cheeks. He silently draws his arm forward to embrace Gon. He puts his arms around his friend's shoulders; the two stay in this position for five solid minutes, without saying a single word.

After the silent five minutes, the two boys draw their bodies apart.

"I'm just so relieved that you finally woke up." Killua murmurs.

"How long was I out for?" Gon writes.

"Four days." Killua says quietly.

"Judging by all of the empty water bottles on the shelf, you drank all of those, right? Which means you didn't leave this room once in the past four days. You didn't leave my side once, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't. I was really worried. I couldn't leave your side. I wanted to go downstairs to the restaurant to get some food. But I just couldn't leave you."

"You didn't sleep?"

"No. I didn't. Like I said, I couldn't fall asleep. Compared to all of the suffering you went through, not sleeping for four days isn't even worth mentioning."

"What are you going to do now?" Gon writes this question and presents it to Killua.

"There's a magical stone located under the Zoldyck's estate. It can resurrect the dead, and they're probably going to use it on Illumi."

"Illumi is dead?" Gon interrupts him.

"Yeah, I killed him." Killua knows Gon doesn't want him to kill, so he looks away.

However, for Gon, sensing Killua doesn't want to talk about this subject, he doesn't pursue it.

"Okay, what about the magical stones."

"I'm going to go to the estate and try to get the stone before they can. If it can revive the dead, then it can heal the wounded too. I'll use it to heal you."

"Are you saying that I can't with you?" Gon quickly writes this down and shows it to Killua.

"Gon, you can't come with me. Look at you right now. You'll get hurt even more if you go."

It pains Killua's heart to simply reject Gon. However, he this time, he knows it's for Gon's own good.

Gon tries to jot down something quickly, but Killua stops him.

"Gon, I know you want to go with me. But please! You'll put yourself in even more danger if you go. Please Gon! I'm begging you! I don't want you to get hurt even more."

All of this still wasn't enough to persuade Gon, however, once he sees Killua's tears, he falls silent.

"Okay, Killua. You can go by yourself." Gon finally writes. "Promise me you'll return safely."

"I promise, Gon. I promise. Thank you for being considerate." Killua sighs, relieved.

"When are you leaving?"

"I I don't even know the time right now. But judging by the darkness outside the window, it's probably around midnight. I'll leave as soon as possible, probably right now. I've already paid a nurse to take care of you and all of the money for the food and the medicine you'll need. So you don't have to worry about anything."

"Okay. Take care, Killua. I'll miss you."

"Don't make it sound like this separation will be forever. We're only going to be apart for a few weeks." Killua stands up from his wooden chair next to Gon's bed. "Well. See ya. I hope you get better soon."

"Bye Killua!"

Killua leaves Gon's room, however, right after the door closes, Gon writes something else onto the piece of paper:

"Killua, there's no way you're going to go back to the Zoldyck's estate by yourself." Gon gets out of his bed. He winces at the pain when he places his injured foot onto the ground. But he continues.

"Killua. I'm not going to go with you, so you don't have to stop every time I fall behind because of my injury. But I'll quietly follow you."

Timeskip (five days later)

After traveling on an airship for three days and walking for another two days, Killua finally arrives at the foot of the Kukuroo Mountain, outside the Testing gate. Gon has been following him the whole time. He's currently on the airship after the one Killua was on, which means he's still on his way to the mountain.

"Ohh! Master Killua! Welcome home!" The guard, Mike says as he sees silver-haired boy approach the gate. "I didn't expect your arrival."

"Where's Illumi?" Killua asks coldly.

"Oh. Master Illumi is in the family house like always." He points toward the top of the mountain.

"So he's already back?! Man! They're quick! So right now my goal is to get more information concerning the magical stones, and hopefully get my hands on one."

"Do you want me to tell everyone about your arrival?" Mike asks.

"No. Don't tell anyone about it…" Killua hesitates for a second, then he says, "Thanks."

He walks toward the Testing Gate. "Let's see if my strength increased over the past years."

Killua takes a deep breath, and "PUSHHHHHHH!"

Mike gasps from the side, "Woah! Master Killua! You opened the sixth door! It's 128 Tons!"

"Mmm...looks like it. I did get stronger after all…. Well, see ya." Killua waves at Mike without looking back and heads up the mountain.

It takes Killua two hours to get to the halfway mark on the mountain. There, he meets Canary.

"Greetings, Master Killua. Welcome home! It's been a while."

"This isn't my home. It certainly doesn't feel like it." Killua is just about to open his mouth to say more, but someone else appears behind Canary.

"Kil, I've been waiting for you."

"Ill….u...mi." Killua whispers.

"All of the wounds he had four days ago are all gone! He's emitting a more powerful aura than before! How?!"

"Yes, that's right, Kil. I can see the fear in your eyes. What did I teach you before? When you see an opponent stronger than you, what do you do?" Illumi says with a manically smile on his face.

Instinctively, Killua answers, "I run."

"Yes, Kil. That's right" Illumi begins to approach Killua. In response, Killua retreats backward. Illumi continues, "Yes, run away. Because no matter what you do, you will always have the soul of a killer."


	26. Chapter 26 - Light x And x Dark

**Chapter 26 - Light x And x Dark**

"Since it's getting dark out here, why don't Master Killua and Master Illumi head inside the estate and then continue with your conversation." Canary suggests from the side.

However, Illumi mercilessly throws a dagger directly at her and pierces through her right arm.

"Canary!" Killua starts to run toward her, however, his brother interrupts him.

"If you take one step and leave your current position, I shall take that as the signal for the beginning of our fight."

"You already know I'm stronger than you! I beat you just four days ago." Killua says.

"Are you, now? You only beat me then because you knew my abilities and you were sure that you could beat me. That's the only reason why you made your move. Exactly the way I taught you. Only fight when you know you can defeat your enemy. But right now, you're not moving you're not attacking, because you're scared. You know you don't have a 100% chance of winning. Dad and I drilled this into you." Illumi hesitates, but then, "Kil, no matter what you say or do, you can't change who you are."

"Back then… you said I couldn't make friends. But I made one, didn't I?" Killua mutters.

"No, Gon's not a true friend." Illumi says darkly.

"Huh? What do you mean he's not a true friend?! We've spent almost one-third of our lives together!" Killua suddenly bursts in rage upon hearing the insult to their friendship.

"If he's a true friend, he wouldn't have let you come here alone, by yourself. He definitely would've come with you." Although he faced against Killua's anger, Illumi still maintains a calm composure.

"He-he didn't come because he's seriously injured! He wanted to calm, but I told him to not to! I didn't want him to get hurt more!"

"That just shows you think he's a burden. If he's your true friend, you would've asked him to come with you so you can help him recover. Not simply just to ask someone to take care of him for you."

"You… you're wrong!"

"Am I? You ditched Gon because you think of him as a bother, not a friend. You're by yourself, which means you prefer moving alone. Exactly the thinking an assassin would have."

" _Illumi's argument….actually makes sense... is it actually because I don't think of Gon as a friend?"_

"Gon...It can't be." Killua quietly whispers as he looks up toward the stars in the sky. It's night time, the sun has already finished setting into the horizon.

"Kil, do yourself a favor. Or rather, do a favor for your 'so-called friend'. Don't go back to him again. You'll end up murdering him yourself."

"I just...want to live..a normal life with Gon. I want to hang out...with him. I want to...travel and see the world with him." Tears begin to flow down his cheek.

"That's impossible. Kil, just face it, the reality is cruel. You were born into the Zoldyck family, we've all been assassins for generations! And that won't change! You, just by yourself, won't and can't change it!"

Killua ignores his brother's words and continues, "I want to hear Gon speak, my heart aches softly just by hearing his words. I want him to pat me on my back, even though it's a simple slap, it reminds me of all of the time we spent with each other. Both happiness and sorrow we shared together. I just want… to be with him."

"That's what you think on the outside, however, deep in your heart, all you care about is how to kill."

Once again, paying no attention to Illumi's words, Killua continues, "All those time we could've gotten your own hotel rooms. But I said I wanted to play pillow fight with him. But that's just an excuse! The real reason is that I just simply wanted to be next to him!"

"Kil, you can only dream about being his best friend. In reality, you're nowhere close in his heart."

"If you're not going to support me through my desired friend, you're not qualified to be my brother!"

"Do I need a qualification to be your brother?" Illumi asks.

"Do I need a qualification to be Gon's friend?!" Killua shouts. "I'm don't care who stands between me and Gon. Even if it's you, I'm not going to let you stop me!" Killua places his right foot forward, and approaches Illumi.

"You moved from your original position. That's the beginning of our battle. Kil, you there's no fire in you, all there is is just darkness. You might claim you're Gon's friend. You might have the wood to start a fire, but you don't have the spark."

Suddenly, someone approaches behind Killua and says, "And I'm the spark Killua needs, I'm right here, right next to him. Now, he can start a fire."

"Gon! How did you...? The wound on your throat is gone? You can speak now?!" Killua asks in confusion.

"Four days can be a really long time to recover with." Gon says as he half-limps to Killua.

"You came here while walking like this?! Man! That's gotta be rough."

"I couldn't leave your side. See, it turns out I was right. Illumi's giving you more trouble."

"Gon, I just want to say I'm sorry." Killua quietly mutters. "I shouldn't have abandoned you. I threw away our friendship and left you. I'm really sorry!" Killua kneels onto the ground, however, Gon quickly helps him get back up.

"Remember what I said to you?" Gon asks with a huge smile on his face. "You can betray me all you want, but I'll never give up on you! Besides, that wasn't even a betrayal! You did it for my own good! You didn't want me to get hurt! I should be the one thanking you!"

Gon and Killua's friendship resembles light, it shines so brightly, there is no room for Illumi's darkness and shadow to exist. Sensing there is no way he can break the two friends' bond, Illumi slowly retreats back into the estate.

"Darkness fades before light."


	27. Chapter 27-Tell Me x About x Your Dream

Killua sighs as he witnesses his brother disappear into the distance and looks up to the night sky. "Man! This would've been such a nice view if it isn't so cloudy!"

"But everything isn't going to go the way you want it to. It's life, it's very unpredictable." Gon lies down on the grassfield and also looks up.

"Huh? Why are you talking fancy all of a sudden? Who taught you that?" Killua turns to look at him.

Gon smiles and says, "You did, Killua."

"W-what? When did I?"

"Or rather, I should say we found out together." Gon also turns around to face Killua. "If we can learn one lesson by looking back at all of things we did together, that's the lesson we'd learn, right?"

"Y-yeah."

Suddenly, a bolt of light shatters the complete darkness of the firmament. Then, it's followed by another, then another.

"Huh? What's this?" Gon points at them.

"Woah! It's a meteor shower!" Killua shouts. "I've only seen them in pictures, I've never actually seen one happening right above me!" He puts his hands behind his back and leans back.

Above, the sky is being light up by the countless number of meteors.

"Sparkle, shooting star. You are in my dreams. It's guidance of today will lead us to a different tomorrow." Gon lightly whispers.

"Huh? What was that?" Killua asks.

"It's the lyrics to a song. I think it fits our situation right now perfectly."

 _"_ _It's such a simple sentence"_ Killua thinks. _"But it conveys such a deep meaning behind the words."_

"Killua," Gon asks, "How will your life look life if we didn't meet four years ago in the Hunter's exam?"

"Oh." Killua puts his hand under his chin in consideration. "I'd probably still be an assassin in my family business. Just killing people every day. It's certainly not going to be as fun as my life right now."

"Oh? What so fun about your life right now?" Gon asks with a smile on his face. "I mean, you're not doing anything particularly interesting."

"Umm… I don't know…I guess I like spending time with a friend. It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we are doing it together, I'll always enjoy it."

"Don't worry, Killua. I'll always by right by your side." Gon looks at his friend with a determined and reassuring face.

"Th-thanks, Gon." Tears begin to well up in his eyes. "Man! Looking at a beautiful meteor shower really fires you up, doesn't it?"

"Hehe. It sure does."

The two fall in silence, both amazed by the shooting stars above their head. However, their silence is broken by Gon's question. "Killua, do you want to tell me about, your dream that you mentioned the other day?"

"My dream…." Killua sighs. "It honestly isn't ambitious nor big. It's really simple. However, it seems so far away."

"What is it?" Gon asks.

"You and I would live in a city like two regular kids. My parents wouldn't be around, I don't know about yours, but we'd live together. We'd go to the same school everyday like regular kids, we'd be in the same classes and we'd try to do well in them. We'd come home everyday in the afternoon, we'd walk back to our home together, like regular kids. And at night, we'd do our homework together and then we'd go to bed. Our house doesn't even have to be big. It can just have two bedrooms and one living room, or even just one bedroom and we can be roommates." Killua sits up and looks at Gon with a pair of teary eyes. "I'm sorry that I'm bringing you into this. I just really want you to be with me in that dream world too. If you don't want to live that way, it's okay."

"Killua…How could you have known…the words you just said…. The world you just described, is also my dream world."

"It may not be all happy times." Gon continues it for Killua, "We'd have to make our own meals. Since neither of us knows how to cook, we'd have to experiment and probably burn ourselves a few times. We'd have to hide our identities as Pro-Hunters and keep our Nen as a secret. We'd probably struggle in our classes because we've never been to school before. Worse of all, you'd have to hide your last name. If other people know you're a Zoldyck, you'll never fit in. So you'd probably come up with a fake name. It'll be hard to get used to that."

"Gon. How does the name 'Killua Freecss' sound?" Killua asks.

"W-wait! Are you suggesting that you're going to change your last name to my last name?"

"It's the first name that popped into my head when you said a new name… Honestly…It doesn't sound that bad."

"Well, are you okay with being my brother?" Gon asks" Wait! Awww…then you'd be my little brother since you're younger than me! Yess!" Gon shouts, "I'll finally have a sibling!"

"So you're okay with it, Gon? You're okay with me being your brother?"

Gon jokes, "Shouldn't I be the one begging you for that? …Wait Do our parents have to know about this?"

"They don't if we use our Hunter's license."

"Yes! Then let's get this thing done right away! Ohhhh I'm so excited!" Gon shouts in happiness. "A few minutes ago this dream looked so unrealistic, but right now, it's so close to us, it's within our reach! Let's head for a city and do this right now!"

"Gon. Don't get too ahead. We'll have to register for a school. We'll need money to pay for our tuition. We'll have to buy or rent an apartment next to our school. It's a lot of stuff we have to do!" But we can probably get all of it done before the school's winter break ends. We can probably make it to the next semester."

"Yes! This is great! Then Killua, what are we waiting for, let's go!"

"It's mid-night, Gon. You're not going to sleep?" Killua asks.

"I'm so excited I can't fall asleep!"

"I can say the same thing for myself. But before we go, Gon. I want to say something." Killua looks down at his watch and looks back up.

"Huh? What do you want to say?"

"Happy new year, Gon."

Gon also looks down at his watch, the minute hand and the hour hand overlap each other, both pointing at twelve. "Oh…it's already new year… This year sure went by pretty fast." Gon mutters.

"Gon, I wish we'll have another pleasant year together." Killua says peacefully.

"Our first year as brothers!" Gon adds. "Happy new year to you too, Killua.

Above, the meteor draws to an end, so does the first phase of Gon and Killua's life. A new stage opens its curtains. What journey awaits the two friend, the two new brothers?

They now step foot into Brotherhood.


	28. Chapter 28 - NewCity x NewName x NewLife

**Chapter 28 - New City x New Name x New Life**

"So Killua! Is being a 'Freecss' different than being a 'Zoldyck'?" Gon asks as they walk out of the Government Name-change office building. The afternoon sunlight shines upon them.

"Physically… Nope! Can't feel a thing. But mentally, yes. I mean… I can literally just put away my past as an assassin and start anew. When people ask where our parents are, we can just say we don't have any...Wait… are you okay with that?" Killua turns around and asks Gon.

"Sure, since we barely see them around. Sorry...correction… we never see them around."

"Hehe, that's right. Now that we've taken care of almost everything, all we have to do is to buy backpacks and school essentials." Killua suggests.

"I'm still so hyped about the apartment we rented though Since it's on the 20th floor, it's higher than almost all of the skyscrapers around us. So our view won't get blocked!" Gon shouts.

"Yeah..me too. But to be fair, your dad's credit card bill is going to be pretty heavy. I wonder what his face is going to be like when he realizes we rented an apartment and went to school."

"Heh. His reaction would be pretty funny." Gon starts to laugh when he pictures Ging's puzzled face in his head.

"Speaking of school…" Killua points at a campus across the street from them. "This is our school right here."

"Huh? It's this close to us? We can basically walk to school in three minutes." Gon exclaims.

"Well, we'll have to walk slower than normal. So everyone won't get suspicious and start to question us about stuff."

"True…" Gon mutters.

"And Gon, don't get mad so easily in school. You'll lose control of your emotions. What if you accidentally use your full strength? No, it doesn't even have to be your full strength, just parts of it. What if you accidentally use parts of your strength and kill someone?" Killua says.

"I know, I know. I won't. But Killua, you also have to worry about yourself. If you go into your assassination mode, you'll lose your emotions and feelings, so I won't even be able to stop you."

"I'll try my best, you don't have to worry." Killua reassures him. "Let's head over to the stationery store. One thing I love about our neighborhood is that everything we need is right here. There are restaurants, shops, markets, actually everything!"

"Look over there! That's the shop! Let's go!"

 _ **Timeskip (Three hours later)**_

"Man! We bought a lot of stuff!" Gon yells as they step into the elevator in their apartment building.

"Yeah. But to be fair, you didn't have to buy all those ramen noodles." Killua mutters.

"Well do you know how to cook?" Gon asks.

"No. I get it. But even though I like ramen, they're really not healthy for you. And if you eat all the ones you bought, you'll seriously hurt your body."

"I promise I'll only eat one every week. Is that okay?"

"That's fine."'

With a "Ding", the elevator arrives on the 20th floor and they step out. Their apartment building was constructed not long ago. It's considered one of the newest and nicest buildings in the city of Vorlan. The two boys turn right, and their apartment is the second one on the left.

"Here we go. Now Gon, gimme the key." Killua puts his hand out and says.

"What? I don't have them. Didn't you take them on the way out?" Gon turns his pockets inside-out to prove they're empty.

Killua reaches for his pockets to check, "Oh! Oops. They're right here... Hehe..my bad."

"Mmmm...whatever." Gon groans.

Killua inserts the key and opens the door. Their apartment is relatively small. With a living room right in front of the entrance, a bedroom on the right and a kitchen on the left. There's a bathroom in between the two rooms.

"Let's go to bed early tonight. Who knows how wild school will be tomorrow." Killua suggests.

"I still don't get why we have to wear a suit and tie to school everyday. Wouldn't it get too hot in the summer?"

"Summer is still five months away, so don't get ahead of yourself. Also, we gotta look sharp right? Since you're into girls? Right Gon?" Killua nudges Gon in the arm and laughs.

"Be quiet!" Gon shouts.

"Hehe. What was her name? Stella? Was it? Back on the deserted island?" Killua continues his joke.

"She was a jerk! Okay! Now just drop it!"

Killua can tell he is pushing Gon over the edge, "Okay, okay… Let's heat up some of the microwavable food we bought for dinner. Then let's pack everything we need so we don't have to tomorrow morning. We gotta wake up and 6:30 since school starts at 7:30."

"Wow, that's early." Gon groans.

"Yeah, but we can always go to bed earlier to make up for the lost time." Killua says as he walks over to the kitchen and puts the food into the microwave. "How does….this work?"

He randomly presses some button, hoping it can turn on. However, "Huh? No! I didn't want you to microwave it for an hour! How do I pause the timer! What is this! Ah!"

After fixing up everything, they manage to cook dinner without creating a mess. The two boys sit down around the dinner table in the living room.

"Say, Killua. What do you think school will be like tomorrow?" Gon asks nervously.

"Well, since it's a private school, the teachers and classmates will be nicer. But there will be a few students who will be really mean. So just watch out for them. Also try to behave well on the first day, a good first impression will always help."

"Killua, you seem really familiar with this stuff. Have you ever been in school before?"

"No, but I've been in many formal meetings and parties before. It's basically the same thing."

"You have? What party?" Gon asks, surprised.

"The only reason I went is because my family wanted me to kill one of the people there. And that was a long time ago. So...yeah." Killua explains like it was nothing.

However, for Gon, after sensing Killua doesn't want to talk about the topic at hand, answers with "Oh. Okay."

"Well, I'm done with my food. I'll go shower first. When I'm done I'll pack everything we need for tomorrow… Since the school is going to give us all of the textbooks, all we need to bring is a backpack, a pencil case, and sport clothes to change into during sport class." Killua explains.

"Huh? There are sport classes? What do you do in them?" Gon scratches his cheek in confusion.

"I was looking through the school websites. Apparently during the winter season right now, the choices are basketball, swimming, and dodgeball."

"Ohh! Dodgeball! I remember playing that on Greed Island!" Gon shouts.

"I was thinking about signing up for that too. Since neither of us has played any of the other two. But we need to try really hard to not show our skills. Or it'll be a disaster."

"It's fine. Let's sign up for dodgeball. I won't do anything stupid." Gon says excitedly.

"Okay. Well, I'm going to shower now." Killua says as he walks over to the bathroom.

" _I don't know why, but I'm still worried about what Gon will do tomorrow. He might try to show off his skills... that will lead to a...mess."_


	29. Chapter 29 - First x Day x Of School

"What?!" Killua looks at his watch. "It's already 7 in the morning?"

"Gon!" He yells as he climbs down from his top bunk. "Get up! We can't be late on the first day of school!"

Gon sits up and rubs his eyes. "Huh? What time is it?"

"Already seven! School starts in half an hour! We can't be late!"

"Oh...okay." Gon murmurs weakly.

"Hurry up and get dressed! All of your clothes are right here on this chair, luckily I put them here last night. Black blazer, tie, khaki pants, and belts. It's a lot of stuff but it's the essentials."

"What about your clothes?" Gon asks.

"It's the exact for me." Killua points to another chair in the room. "Right there."

After getting dressed quickly, washing up, hastily heating the leftovers from last night and stuffing them down their throats, the two boys dash out of their apartment.

'Remember Gon. Slow down. Don't run too fast or other people will get suspicious." Killua reminds him.

"It's 7:20 right now. We can make it in time." Gon looks down at his watch and says.

"Gon don't look down! Heads up!" Killua yells at him at Gon bumps into an old lady walking in front of him.

"Oh I'm sorry!" After realizing what happened, Gon quickly turns around and helps her get back up. "I'd love to apologize more but we can't be late for school!"

They arrive in front of the school's main gate at 7:25. Gon says excitedly before going in, "First time stepping foot inside a school. I wonder what it's like."

"Yeah. Me too!" Killua agrees.

""Hey! You two kids! I haven't seen your faces around here! Are you new?! A man in the guard office next to the main gate yells.

"Man! Why did he have to ruin the dramatic moment?! I was just about to do the dramatic 'stepping in' moment." Gon groans.

"Yes!" Killua answers, "We're new here."

"Lemme see your student's license." He walks out of the room and slowly towards them.

"Oh. Here you go!" Killua rummages through his pocket and hands him the two licenses.

"Huh?" Gon says from the side. "I didn't know we had licenses."

"I had them the whole time, just didn't give you yours." Killua explains.

"Huh. Gon and Killua Freecss. Huh? Well, welcome to the 2nd Independent School of Vorlan. If you didn't know, both the lower school, middle school, and the upper school are all here on this campus. You'll be attending Eighth Grade, right?"

"Yup!" Killua nods.

"I had no idea about that too." Gon whispers.

"Alright, you two can go in now. Hope you'll like it here!" The guard sends them off with a smile and a wave.

"Two minutes left! Which building is the middle school one?!" Gon asks, frustrated.

"Why are you asking me?! How would I know?!...Oh wait! I do know! I saw it on the school website!"

"See, I knew it!" Gon laughs.

"If I remember correctly, there should be a total of four buildings, one for lower school, one for middle school, one for upper school, and one for the cafeteria and some of the indoor athletics arenas. The lower, middle and upper school buildings are connected. And the middle school building should be the middle one, between these two. Soo….it's right here!" Killua points at the middle building. "Let's go!"

"Wow. The campus is pretty big!" Gon exclaims as they runs toward the building.

"Okay! We're here! Since we're in the Eighth grade, we're the highest grade in the middle school, so we should be on the third floor, the highest floor."

"I'm assuming the first floor is for sixth grade, the second floor is for seventh, and the third is for eighth?" Gon asks.

"Yup! Now...our homeroom is 8-2. So it's the room in the middle on the third floor."

The two boys zap through the six flight stair in no time, arriving in front of the door to their room with five seconds to spare.

"Ahh! We made it in time!" Gon shouts as he looks at the clock hanging on the wall in the back fo the room.

"Good! We're not late!" Killua agrees.

The teacher is standing in the front of the room. He is a man in his early thirties with black hair. His body is thin and tall. He wears a collared shirt and glasses.

"I'm not so sure about that, young man!" The teacher yells.

"Huh? What do you mean? We arrived with five minutes left. So we're not late." Gon and Killua say together.

"I know, I know." His voice softens, "I only yelled at you to test your personalities. "To see if you will back down after even when you know you are correct because you are scared to get into trouble. Well, congratulations, you both passed." He walks over to them and sticks out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Mr. Werlie! You two are Gon and Killua Freecss right?"

They both reach their hand out as well for the handshake, and nods in confirmation. "I'm Killua, he's Gon."

"Nice to meet you!" Mr. Werlie turns around to the class. "Boys and Girls, these are the two students I mentioned who will be joining our class. Please make them feel welcome."

"You two are brothers, I assume?" Mr. Werlie turns back toward them and asks.

"Uh..y-yeah." Gon answers murmurs quietly.

"I need you two to fill out this information sheet." He hands them a piece of paper. "It's just the simple stuff. Your phone numbers, address, and parents info."

"Oh...one problem...Mr. Werlie." Killua raises his hand reluctantly.

"Yes? Killua, what is it?"

"We don't have parents." Killua says quietly. A few quiet murmurs emerge from the rest of the class.

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that." Mr. Werlie says sympathetically.

"It's alright… We're used to it." Killua tries to wave it off.

"So you two have just been living by yourself?"

"Yeah. We didn't have a home until a few days ago though. We were just traveling around the world on our own." Gon explains.

"That must be nice...To circle around the world….anyway, your seats are over there. I put you two together so you can help each other out in this new environment. All of your textbooks are all already in your desks."

"Okay. Thanks." Gon and Killua begin to walk toward the rest of the class.

"Oh! By the way. Including you two, our class has sixteen people. One is absent today so we only have fifteen right now. "

The desks are lined up in four rows and four columns, both of their seats and desks are in the third room. Killua's is the one next to the window on the right, Gon's seat is to the left of Killua's.

The moment they sit down, the grey-haired boy sitting in front of Killua turns around and quietly whispers. "You might be able to fool the others, but you can't fool me, Zoldyck."

" _-hk!"_ Killua's mind goes completely blank. " _How does he know?!"_

The grey-haired boy continues, "You're an assassin, don't mingle with our normals lives here."

" _Calm down! Calm down!"_ Killua in silently pinching the legs of his desk to release his pent-up anger. His face is distorted with rage.

"Tsk." The grey-haired boy turns around."You gotta control your emotions more. It's too obvious."

When he's done, Killua himself doesn't even notice the huge dent he made on one of the metal legs of the desk.


	30. Chapter 30 - UnexpectedxTurnxOf Events

**Chapter 30 - Unexpected x Turn x Of Events**

Killua lightly taps the grey-haired boy's shoulder and hands him a paper slip. It reads:

" _After school, 5 o'clock, behind this building. I'm not going to bring anyone or any weapons. But you can, because you'll probably need it."_

The boy quietly nods his head in acceptance and turns away.

"Scared, huh?" Killua whispers. "You shouldn't play tough with an assassin."

"Killua!" yells. "Please don't talk in class unless you are called upon."

"Oh...I'm sorry." Killua says respectfully.

The rest of the morning goes by smoothly. However, Gon and Killua are struggling in almost every class they have. Math, Language, Science, and especially History. is their teacher in all of these subjects. When the clock hits 12 o'clock, every single student dash out of the room and sprints toward the dining hall, leaving Gon and Killua still standing in the room, clueless about where everyone is going.

"Huh….why are they in such a hurry to leave?" Gon asks.

"It's lunch time." Mr. Werlie explains. "They want to get a good seat for lunch. The earlier you get there, the better seats you'll get. If you are one of the later ones to arrive, you won't get a seat and you'll have to sit on the floor."

"Man! So we have to fight over this too?" Killua groans, "Let's go, Gon."

"Thanks Mr. Werlie!" Gon turns around and waves at his teacher before leaving with Killua.

"Looks like Werlie's right." Killua says as they enter the cafeteria. "It's full here, all of the seats are taken. Let's just sit on the floor. I don't want to get into arguments right now."

"Okay. But before that, let's go get some food." They head over to the food counter.

All of the food is distributed to students on trays. Today's main course is the cheeseburger. You can also get side dishes like salads, desserts and soup. The students don't have to pay for any of these food because they're all included in their tuition.

After getting their food, Gon and Killua find a spot in the corner of the room and eat their lunch in peace. However, about halfway through, a kid from a table comes over and invites them to his table.

"Why don't you two come over here. We just happen to have two open spots." The speaker is a boy in Gon and Killua's class. He has black hair and is similar to their age.

"Oh...okay. Thanks!" Gon replies.

"Killua...and Gon. Right?" He asks. "I'm Owen!"

"Yup! That's us! Nice to meet you, Owen." The three kids begin to walk over to Owen's table.

"Gon… " Owen mutters the name under his breath multiple times. "That's a pretty weird name."

"You should hear my dad's name, it's even worse than mine." Gon says.

"Didn't you say you don't have parents?"

"Oh...well, I heard it from my aunt." Gon replies quickly. "I'm gonna use the bathroom. I'll be back." He stands up and leaves the cafeteria.

"I see...What's your dad's name?" Owen turns around and asks Killua

"His name's Ging! It's worse, right?" Killua smiles.

Owen's expression is the complete opposite from Killua's. Instead of a smile, his face is a mix between confusion and shock.

"Huh? You're Jhin's son?! Jhin was the last King of this country! You're his lost son?"

Owen must have misheard him, the name is "Ging" not "Jhin". However, before Killua can correct him, Owen interrupts. "You do look similar to King Jhin. You both have silver hair, and slanted eyes! Since this country currently doesn't have a king, you can go to the government office and claim your throne!"

"Umm...okay." Killua decides to play along with this idea and keeps quiet.

"Dude! If you become the next King, can you…" Owen hesitates, then speaks with a quieter volume. "you'know...gimme something good... because I'm the one who told you all of this?"

"Ahh! Bribery!" Killua jokes. "I can get you arrested for this."

"C'mon." Owen pleads.

"Hehe, just kidding!" Killua laughs.

"I don't know if a fourteen old kid can be the king of this country...You can basically trash this whole place if you want to." Owen sighs. "Wait...your last name, 'Freecss', is your foster parent's last name, right?"

' _I should probably stop the lies right here. What of this gets out of my control? I can get arrested for trying to falsely claim the throne!...But What if I actually become King?...Should I take the risk?"_

"Uh...Yeah." Killua answers. "Although I have no idea about my birth parents' last name though."

"Well...King Jhin's last name was 'Virtum'. He was assassinated twelve years ago by an unknown party of people. Some people say he had a son...but only one though. So I don't know about your brother Gon." Owen explains. "If King Jhin did have two sons, you and Gon don't look similar at all. It seems like you are the one who inherited Jhin's traits. Which means you should be the heir to the throne, not Gon."

"Gon's older than me though."

"People won't believe Gon, because he has no resemblance to Jhin. But you do. So it has to be you."

"So how can I claim the throne?" Killua asks.

"Go to the government office, and go to the building called 'Aristocrats and Royalty'. Basically just tell them everything and they'll ask you a few questions."

"Owen?" Killua asks. "How come you are trusting me so much? I mean, to you, I'm someone who you've never met before. But you're telling me everything."

Owen sighs. "Tthis country is a mess. Because there is no formal government right now, cities sometimes rebel. If you don't like the way your city government runs, they'll forcefully put you in prison." He pauses and wipes off the tear in his eyes. "They did that to my dad….So Killua, promise me one thing. If you become King, please release my father from prison….I'm begging you!" He drops onto the ground and kneels to Killua, his face is completely covered with tears.

"Owen! Get up! I still don't know if I'll be king yet!" Suddenly embarrassed, Killua panics and doesn't know what to say. "But I promise you...I'll save your father if I become the King."

"Thank you." With that, Owen stands up and turns around. "Excuse me. I looks like a mess right now. I'm going to fix myself up in the bathroom."

Gon comes back a minute later and asks. "I saw Owen crying in the bathroom. Was it you?"

Killua completely ignores him and proposes a question of his own. "Say...Gon. How would you feel if I became the King of this country?"

"Huh? What is this?" Not sure on where this is going, Gon asks.

"Just answer me."

"Number one, I'd feel happy for you! Number two, I'd feel happy for myself, because if my best friend is the King, I can also enjoy a happy life, right?"

"Wouldn't you be jealous because I'll have more power than you?" Killua asks.

"Of course not! I trust you, Killua. I know you won't use any of your powers on me. I know you'll want me to continue calling you 'Killua' and not 'King Killua' or 'Mister Killua'."

"Wow...Gon, you really do get me." Killua laughs.

"I also know that you'll invite me to live with you in the palace. We'll continue to live our lives as best friend. The only thing that's different is that we'll live in a castle instead of a normal house." Gon pauses. "But this is all imaginary, right? There's no particular reason to why you're asking me all of this...right?"

Killua hesitates. "Of course. All of this is purely hypothetical."


	31. Chapter 31: Instinct x And x Friend

The rest of the school day goes by pretty smoothly. Sport periods are usually at the end of the day. There are no sports on Mondays and Fridays. As a result, the students can leave school at 3:00 PM instead of 5:00 PM. Since today is a Monday, the two boys arrive at their apartment at 4:00 because they went to some shops along the way and picked up some more snacks.

"I'm so clueless about our homework. I barely understood anything in class." Gon says as he throws his backpack onto his bed and plops himself down onto the sofa.

"Oh yea. Gon. I forgot to tell you. I have to leave at five o'clock." Killua says.

"Where are you going?" Gon asks.

"I have to meet someone. We promised to see each other at five...You can just stay in the apartment and do your homework."

"Oh." Gon can sense that Killua doesn't want him to go, so he doesn't bother to persuade him. "Okay... Just...take care."

"Alright Gon. I'm gonna leave now." Killua says as he makes a beeline for the front door.

"When do you think you'll come back?" Gon asks.

"Hmm...let's see…" Killua looks at his watch. "It's 4:50 right now. I probably won't be back until after seven."

"What? It's going to take that long? What about your homework?"

"I might have to take care of something else...I'll just copy your answers when I get back." Killua smiles when he says the last part of the sentence.

"Slacking off on the first day, huh." Gon jokes. "Whatever...Don't let your emotions get a hold of you. You'll do thing you wouldn't normally do."

"I know, I know." Killua leaves without saying another word.

"What happened to Killua today? I feel like he's different….Well, I should let him mind his own business. I gotta do these homework..or we'll both end up failing." Gon shakes off his concerns for Killua and dives back into his work.

Killua can already sense the grey-haired boy's presence from fifty yards away. However, that's not the only presence he can detect. There are three more, hiding inside the school building.

"Yo!" Killua yells at the grey-haired boy. "What's up!"

"I'm not liking your calmness." He replies.

"Woah! You're really serious, aren't you? Well, let's get down to business." Killua walks toward him until they're standing face to face, three feet away against each other.

"What do you want?" The grey-haired boy asks.

"First things first… Tell your buddies to come out of the building. It's starting to annoy me."

" _-hk!"_ His body freezes in shock, but then he decides to play it off. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Jesus! Don't play dumb with me! One of your buddies is hiding right next to this door on the first floor. The other two are hiding on the second floor. Tell them to come out." Killua says confidently.

"H-how...did you know?" The asks, dumbfounded.

"It's only natural...for us assassins to be able to sense our prey...right?" Killua says with a devilish smile. "Now let's get to the main point. How did you know I was a 'Zoldyck'?... No, wait… let me rephrase that... How did you even know about the Zoldyck Family?" Killua begins to slowly approach him.

"Nope! I'm not telling you!" The boy yells. If you come any closer, I'll scream for help.

"Go ahead and try." With this last sentence, Killua disappears. He reappears behind the grey-haired boy, with his claw-like nails next to the boy's neck.

"Looks like you missed your opportunity to ask for help." Killua laughs. "Well, too bad. Now...my nails are sharper than knives. So tell me how you found out about my real identity… or you die."

"Gah!" The boy tries to struggle, but it's in vain.

"Stop not giving up?" Killua asks. "I don't like to torture my victims...but I did learn one torturing method from one member of the phantom troupe… I heard him mention it as I was eavesdropping."

"W-what are you going to do to me?" The boy asks desperately.

"I'll slowly tear off one of your nails, then another, then another. Until you're out of them...Then I'll start to cut your body up...But I doubt you can make it that far…"

This was Feitan's torturing method. Feitan mentioned it when Killua and Gon were captured and were brought to the Phantom Troupe's headquarters.

"Aww..you're scared now… too bad…I wonder what your parents will think if you come home tonight with a torn apart body and two hands with no fingernails… Ugh! I don't think it'll be pretty!" Killua says sarcastically. "Well, what do you say? The easy way or the hard way?"

"You're just bluffing! You won't hurt me! Or the police will be on you!" The boy yells.

"Oh? Then it's your mistake to think that I'm afraid of the police...Well…" Killua takes the boy's right hand. "Let's start with the pink...shall we?"

The boy begins to tremble. The fear he has is being clearly spelled out by his facial expression.

However, before Killua can begin his torture, he hears someone shout his name. When he turns around to see who it was, he sees a fist flying coming right at his face. As a result of the punch, Killua goes flying, his body smashing against the wall.

" _Huh? Who was that? None of them is strong enough to throw a punch that powerful!"_ Killua's head is still spinning after the impact. However, when he looks up, "Gon… Why are you?"

"Why else? You were about to kill that kid!" Gon screams at Killua. "If I hadn't been here, who knows how far you would've gone!"

"Well...I wasn't going to kill him…" Killua murmurs as he sits on the ground.

"You told me you were going to meet with someone. You never said you are going to torture them to death!"

"I said I had no intentions of killing him." Killua repeats himself. "Do you think I like to hear people scream in pain?"

"You were in your assassination mode. You have no sense of pity in that state. Your only focus is to kill. You won't stop until your goal has been reached."

"So...I guess your punch woke me up from that state then…I'm sorry, Gon." Killua looks down at the ground, ashamed of himself. However, Gon walks over to him and extends his arm out.

"Well, you apologized. So we're all good now!"

"Huh?" Killua looks up at Gon.

"Come on, take my hand and stand back up. You don't want to sit here for the whole night, do you?" Gon smiles easily and calmly.

Killua reaches his hand and grabs Gon's. In response, Gon pulls his friend up. "By the way, Killua. I think I just punched you for the first time."

"Huh? Really?" Killua exclaims. "Well, all I can say is...it felt good."

"That's kind of a weird response… but whatever."

As Gon and Killua walk past the grey-haired boy, who is still sitting on the ground, too shocked to say or do anything. Killua says. "Well...I'm sorry for threatening you. J-just...don't mention this to the rest of the class tomorrow in school."

"Oh...okay….I won't." The boy manages to squeeze this short sentence out of his throat.

"By the way, what's your name?" Killua asks.

"Ben. My name's Ben" He replies weakly.

"Nice to meet you, Ben." Killua says. "You need a haircut. You're hair is getting a little bit long."

"Oh...okay...thanks for the suggestion." Ben whispers.

With that, Gon and Killua walks out of the school campus. With the sunset shining upon them.

"Gon…" Killua says. "Can you head back to the apartment on yourself? I have to take care of something."

"Where are you going?" Gon asks.

"The Aristocrat and Royalty section of the Government Office." Killua replies.

"What are you going to do there?" Gon asks again.

"It's a secret...for now."

Gon begins to walk toward their apartment slowly. Killua is turned, facing the other way. However, just when Gon is about to disappear from his view, he turns around and shouts.

"Gon! Thank you!"

"Huh?" Gon spins around quickly and asks.

"The world can be cruel if you don't have friends. Back there, if I didn't have you as a best friend, and if you weren't there to stop me, I probably would've gone too far."

"Oh! No problem, Killua. We're friends, and friends help each other."

" _Each other…"_ KIllua mutters quietly. " _Gon, you are helping me this whole time...I just can't...help you in return….."_


	32. Chapter 32 - The x New x King

"I'm sorry, kid." The officer in the Government office says. "But what are you here for?"

"I said that I believe I'm King Jhin's lost son. I should be able to reclaim my throne." Killua repeats himself.

Without looking, the officer bursts into laughter. "Kid! If everyone just comes here and claim they are King Virtum's son? Wouldn't we have hundreds of kings by now?"

"I know! Aren't you going to ask me some questions to test me?" Killua asks.

"I will, but before we get to that, what's your name?" He takes out a piece of paper and starts to jot down some information.

"Killua, Killua Freecss….But Freecss is my foster parents' name."

"Where are your foster parents right now?"

"Both of them have died." Killua says with a depressed tone.

"I'm sorry to hear that….Onto the next question.." He glances down his piece paper. "How old are you?"

"I'm fourteen. Birthday is July Seventh."

"I don't know, man…" The officer leans back into his chair and murmurs.

"Don't know about what?" Killua asks quickly.

"I don't know about a fourteen old ruling this kingdom."

"Does that mean I've passed?"

"What? No! Are you joking?! These are just the basic questions. Now we're going test your skills." He stands up and signals foor Killua to stand up too.

"Where are we going? What are we doing?"

"Being the King means that you have to be the strongest person in this kingdom. Or others won't listen to your command." He points at a door at the end of the hall. "In that room is another candidate, you'll have to fight him. If you win, you'll proceed to the next stage….If you lose, you'll die." The officer explains.

" _If this is a contest of physical strength, I'll win for sure… But what's after this stage though?"_

"Here the key to open the door, whenever you're ready, just go in and fight it out." The officer hands him a metal key.

"If you just gave me the key, couldn't I just leave if I think I'm going to lose the fight? So I won't have to die."

"You think we haven't thought about that?" The officer chuckles. "You can't open the door with that key from the inside. You'll need the other person's key as well."

"What if you decide to surrender and give the key to the other person. You won't have to die, right?" Killua asks again.

"We'll execute you after the fight is over. Now! Enough talking! Just go in!" The officer yells.

"Okay! Okay! Jeez! Calm down!" Killua begins to walk toward the stone door at the end of the hallway. He takes a deep breath before inserting the key, and then pulls the door open.

The walls of the room are constructed with stone, trying to break out won't be a possible solution. In the middle of the room, stands a man in his late thirties. He's bald, and wears a white T-shirt and black pants. His bulky body is the product of years and years of workout. He begins to talk the moment he sees Killua enters the room.

"What is this? A joke? You want to be the next King of this country?" The man laughs.

"Yeah." Killua says coldly. "Got any problem?"

"Let's make a deal, kid." The man says. "You give me the key, I'll let you live. When I become King, I'll give you a handsome reward."

"If I give you the key, I'll be executed for losing this fight."

"Not if I become King. I can give orders to stop that." The man explains.

"Great! How about you hand me your key, and I'll do the same to you when I become King." Killua turns the conversation around and asks.

"Huh? Kid! You need to learn your place! You're not in any position to make any demands!" The man yells and charges at Killua.

"Tsk." Killua scoffs. "You're way too slow...I'm going to kill you without my Nen."

"Shut up you little brat!" Just when it looks like they two are about to hit each other, Killua zaps away in the last second.

"Huh? Where did you go?" The man immediately turns around and asks, confused.

"Man! This is going to be too easy for me…"Killua reappears a second later right behind the man. "Your eyes are not even fast enough to catch my movements."

The man swings his arm in an attempt to hit Killua, but he's is too fast for him.

"Well. In terms of strengths, I'm sure you can tell the difference between us. Ready to give up?" Killua asks with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Gah!" The man yells in frustration.

"I promised Gon I'll be back before at Nine o'clock...It's already eight now. I'll have to wrap it up here quick." Killua murmurs. "I'm sorry, old man. But there has to be a victor. I don't want to kill you, but I have to." Killua says sympathetically.

"Shut up and come at me!"

With his claw-like nails, Killua dashes behind the man. All it takes it one stab to displace his heart. Killua does it so quickly, it's almost painless for the victim. Only a few drops of blood spill out and drip onto the ground. The man collapses onto the ground without saying a word.

Killua sighs as he walks toward the door. "Man! Is it fate that I have to kill? My hand is stained, I hate the feeling and smell of blood." He pauses. "Oh wait. I almost forgot." He runs back to the corpse of the man and finds his key in his right pocket. Just like the officer described, there are two keyholes on the inside of the door. After putting both of them in, Killua pushes the door open. "I'm back!" Killua yells as he walks through the corridor and toward the officer's desk.

"What?" The officer gasps. "How did you...win?!"

"Is it that surprising?" Killua shows the officer his blood stained hand and his claw-like fingernails. "It was quite easy actually."

"That...that man you just fought….wasn't a candidate. He was the country's worst criminal...He was told to pretend like he is the other candidate. Nobody could defeat him...but y-you did. A kid…"

"So what's the next stage?" Killua asks.

"There is none" The officer sighs. "This country's council has been keeping a secret. They've agreed that the first to defeat the criminal will be the next King…"

"So does that mean…?!" Killua shouts with surprise and happiness.

"Yes… King Killua." The officer stands up from his chair and kneels onto the ground. "Please forgive my rude demeanors earlier. I honestly didn't believe you could defeat the criminal back then."

The moment the officer says this sentence, Killua's heart begins to tremble. He's never even thought of being a King. Even though this is a small kingdom, it's still really exciting for him. "Ahh sure! I forgive you, you can stand back up now…. So is there a ceremony? Like to make it formal?"

"Yes. There will be. You can choose when you want to have it. After the ceremony, you'll move into the castle and live there."

"I want to have it ASAP! Wait...I can bring someone to come and live with me in the castle..right?" Killua asks.

"It's your kingdom now. You can make up the rules. The rules you make will be the law...If you want, I'll notify the council and everyone in the country about the ceremony. I assume you want to have it tomorrow?"

"Of course!"

"As you wish. I'll start the preparations right now. I have a suggestion for your ruling in this country? Do you want to hear it?"

"Sure. Since I don't really have any experience with this stuff. What is it?"

"Since you haven't ruled before, and...no offense, but you're still a kid. You probably won't be making the best decisions during the early parts of your reign. It would be wise for you to choose a few wise men to make decisions for you. That way, you'll gain a reputation as a smart leader, so people will want to follow you more."

"Sounds like a good plan." Killua nods in agreement. I'll set that up right away. Thanks!"

We'll send a private car to pick you up tomorrow morning alone with the formal clothes you'll need. You can return to your residence for now. Will you be needing private escort?" He asks politely.

"Nah. I'm good by myself...Well, thank you for your help!" Killua begins to walk toward the door.

"Please take care. And I wish this country will flourish under your reign." With that last sentence, the officer sees the new King off with a wave.

The walk back to the apartment is about twenty minutes. Even though it's already night time, the thriving city isn't resting. The lights from all of the different shops along the road illuminates the entire street. Additionally, the buildings are all brightened up by the light coming from the individual homes. Killua happily jogs along the street, while cheerifully humming the melody to a song. And before he knows it, he's already home.

"Gon! Open up! It's me" He yells as he pounds on the door.

"Killua! Where were you!" Gon hurries over and opens the door.

After making his way inside, Killua can no longer hide his laughter. "Kneel." He says to Gon.

"Huh?" Gon asks, confused.

"I said, kneel to me." Killua points at the ground while issuing the command.

"Um…I don't know where this is going…but sure." Gon slowly descends his body until his knees touch the ground.

After seeing Gon's obedient actions, Killua gives him a satisfying smile. "I have something to tell you, Gon."

"What is it?"

"How should I say this…Before I start, I just want to say I'm really excited about this." Killua begins to fidget with his clothes nervously.

"Just tell me. Killua."

"I'm the new King of this country!" Killua finally shouts.

 _-Silence-_

"Sorry. I must have misheard you." Not believing his ears, Gon asks again. "What did you just say?"

"I'm the new King of this country!" Killua shouts again. His eyes are lit up with happiness and pride.

"Actually?!" Still not convinced, Gon continues with his questioning.

"Yes Gon! I swear on my life!" Killua pats his chest and walks toward Gon, who is still kneeling on the ground.

"Stand up. Let's get ready! The Crowning Ceremony will begin tomorrow morning! I'm going to wash up! I gotta look sharp in front my subjects, right?" Killua says with a huge smile on his face.

"How...are you...going to rule this country?" Gon asks as he gets back onto his feet.

"I'll mostly rely on the council. Since I'm still not Eighteen yet, I don't have to do any main decisions. So all we are going to do is enjoy our lives in the castle. All of the best food! Best stuff! Best everything!..Oh man! I can get excited just by thinking about it!"

"Ha!" Gon shouts. "So I was right! You are going to invite me to live in the castle with you!" Gon looks at Killua with a victorious smile. "See? I get you everytime!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You should also wash up. You might also be interviewed for being my best friend… If they ask you any questions about me...just only give them positive replies." Killua says as he walks toward the bathroom.

"If I badmouth you, what would you do?" Gon jokes and asks.

"Well, for one thing, you don't want to mess with the King…. Second, I know you won't do that. So that's why I'm not paying any attention onto it."

"Yeah..you're right" Gon murmurs quietly.

"See?! I get you too! I know that you're not going to badmouth me!" This time, it's Killua saying this with a victorious smile on his face.

"How did you become King anyways?" Gon asks curiously.

"Lemme take a shower first. After that, I'll tell you as we lie in our bed, before we sleep. I'll tell you the story, all the way from the beginning."

 _ **NOTE TO READERS: THIS ARC IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER ONES. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS NEW ARC.**_


	33. Chapter 33 - Memory x And x Friend

**Chapter 33 - Memory x And x Friend**

" _Kil, your job today is to assassinate this person." A voice says as someone hands Killua a piece paper with Killua's target's face printed on it._

" _Yes, brother Illumi." Killua answers obediently._

 _Illumi walks toward his little brother and lowers himself down. "Kil, you're already six years old. You can handle this yourself, right?"_

" _Yes, brother. I can."_

" _Good. Now, before you go, tell me the rule of assassination."_

 _It has been drilled into Killua's head ever since he was born. As a result, he is able to recite them even in his sleep. "Never go up against a superior opponent." Killua says mechanically._

" _Good." Illumi gives his little brother a satisfying smile. "This one will be the one-hundredth person you've killed. So make sure to do it well."_

" _I will. Don't worry, big brother." Killua turns around and walks toward the door._

" _Good luck." Illumi sends him off with a wave._

 _Back then, even in Killua's past, he detested killing, he absolutely hated it. However, like a machine, he was trained to do it, no questions asked. Back then. He has never, not once, screamed his true feelings._

" _I DON'T WANT TO BE AN ASSASSIN!"_

 _He yearned for the ability to be able to say this sentence out loud, instead of keeping it bottled in him._

Ever since changing his last name from "Zoldyck" to "Freecss", memories of his past have been rushing back into his head like waves. It haunts him in his dreams.

However, the person who wakes Killua up from this nightmare, the person who prevents Killua from reminiscing his tragic, hideous, and bloodthirsty past, is always his one and only friend, Gon.

"Killua." Gon quietly whispers as he shakes Killua awake.

"Huh?" Killua sits and tries to rub his eyes to adjust himself. However, when he moves his hand, he notices that they are tightly clenching to Gon's fingers.

"Did...I do this?" Killua gestures to their hands tightly gripping onto each other's.

"Uh...no. You looked like you were going through pain, so I thought I can help you through it by doing this." Gon whispers quietly, a little bit embarrassed.

"Oh.." Killua looks outside the open window in their room. It's still dark out, but a few beams of sunlight are making their way over the horizon. "How did you know I was having a nightmare?"

"When you sleep normally, you rarely move around. But just then, you were tossing and turning like crazy. So I knew something was wrong." Gon explains.

"Thank you… Th-this definitely helped."

The two fall into silence, Gon is sitting in a wooden chair placed next to Killua's bed. Their hands still connected.

"Gon." Killua finally speaks up. "What time is it?"

"Five thirty in the morning." Gon answers.

"I have to get up." Killua tries to get off his bed and stand up, but Gon stops him.

"You have to rest more. You look like a mess right now." Gon pushes him back down.

"The crowning ceremony is today. I have to give a speech in front of the whole country. It's going broadcasted live on every TV! I have to prepare for that! Or my people won't trust me anymore! " Killua argues back.

"They'll trust you even less if you go up there looking like the way you are now! Killua, you don't have to prepare a speech for it. All you have to do is to say your true feelings. Don't be like those fake ones who say all of the ambitious goals but ends up not even able to accomplish a single one." Gon lowers his volume and explains soothingly.

Killua, after realizing he shouldn't be shouting at his friend, calms down as well. "Yeah...you're probably right...I should get more sleep now."

"Alright, good." Gon gives his friend a final nod before climbing back into his top-bunk.

Killua wakes up to the sound of blaring trumpets. When he opens his eyes, the sunlight pierces into the room and blinds him.

"Master Killua, you're awake." A voice calls out to him, next to his bed.

"Huh? Who are you? Why are you kneeling to me on the ground?" Killua sits up and scratches the back of his head in confusion.

"It only makes sense for me to demonstrate respect in front of someone with a higher social standing than myself. In your case, you're the king." The man lowers his head and explains.

"Ah! I forgot! Wait, since I'm the King, shouldn't you address me as 'Your Majesty' or whatever?"

"You haven't been crowned yet. As a result, it's not formal yet.."

"Okay! But why are you here anyway? In my room." Killua asks as he gets off his bed and stands up. His eyes are fixed onto the man, who is still kneeling on the ground.

"I'll be assisting you changing into these formal clothes."

"Where's Gon?" Killua asks.

"He's waiting outside in the living room."

"Tell him to come in. I want Gon to help me get dressed."

"But Gon doesn't know how to…." Before the man can finish his sentence, Killua cuts him off.

"I said, bring him in!" Killua demands.

"Uh...As you wish." The man quickly scurries out of the room. Gon comes in a minute later, carrying all of Killua's clothes with him.

"Good morning! My King!" Gon shouts cheerfully as he enters the room.

"Quit it with the 'My King'." Killua says sharply.

"Relax! It was a joke! But what happened? You don't seem to be in a good mood." Gon asks.

"That guy who was just in here, I just didn't like him, I guess. I told him to get you in here, but he actually denied my request at first. Can you believe that? Denying a King's request?!" Killua shouts.

"Your taste has certainly gone up, Killua. But sure, you can punish him for that, can't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to abuse my powers…" Killua explains. "I also don't like the fact that everyone kneels down to me when they see me. It's too awkward."

"You'll get used it." Gon says with a grimace on his face. "But let's get you dressed up. The crowning Ceremony will begin in the castle at ten o'clock. It's already nine."

"Am I going to give the speech in public? Earlier I said it's going to be broadcasted live on TV, is it true?" Killua asks,

"I asked them. The Ceremony will happen in the grand hall in the castle. The people with higher social status will be there, like all of the nobles and lords. But it's still going to be live on TV for the other commoners to see. I heard that all school and work have been canceled today just for this!" Gon explains.

"Ah! Speaking of school! Now that we're going to live in the castle, we won't have to go to school anymore, right?"

"There will be private teachers giving you lessons in the castle. It's actually more work, because they'll be not only teaching you the typical Math, Language, History and stuff, they'll also teach you manners and ways to communicate and give speeches as a King."

"What?! Seriously?" Killua shouts. "Man! I thought we would finally get a break!"

"Enough talking. Let's get you dressed up." Gon dumps all of Killua's clothes onto a chair.

"Do you have any idea on how to do this?" Killua points at the red King's cloak and asks.

"What? I thought you knew how to wear it! Why did you send that guy off! I'm sure he knew how to do it!"

"I didn't like him! Okay! Now let's figure this thing out!"

Killua comes out of the room twenty minutes later, entirely dresses up as a King. He wears a black collared shirt and black pants with a belt on the inside. While wearing a lavishly decorated red King's cloak on the outside. "How do I look?" He asks the guards waiting for him in the living room.

"Wow. Master Killua, I'm surprised that you figured how to wear this cloak all by yourself." The man who was in Killua's room earlier stands up and says as he gives a slight bow.

"Hey, I'm not dumb, you'know. And Gon helped me out a lot" Killua smiles and jokes. "By the way, how did you guys know my size? This fits me perfectly."

"We adjusted the size of the cloak overnight. The officer you met last night in the Government Officer remembered your height and size." He pauses for a second. "If you are ready, please come this way."

"Gon!" Killua looks back and yells. "Let's go!"

"Uh.. I'm sorry, Master Killua, but only you can ride in the car downstairs. It's designated only for the King."

Killua is just about to start yelling at him for having too many rules, but before he can begin, Gon's voice interrupts. "It's alright, Killua. I can always just watch the thing on TV here. I can take a Taxi and head for the castle after the Ceremony."

"We have prepared a separate car for you." The man turns toward Gon and says. "You are welcome to go to the castle watch the Ceremony there, but you just have to be in a separate car than the King."

"See, Killua? Nothing to worry about. Just go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

"Okay." Killua nods and walks out of the door.

"Good luck!" Gon yells and waves his friend goodbye.


	34. Chapter 34 - The x Crowning x Ceremony

**Chapter 34 - The x Crowning x Ceremony**

On the way down the elevator, Killua notices all of the roads have been shut down so they can arrive at the castle without going through traffic. After hopping into the lavishly decorated limousine, Killua stays silent during the entire ride to the palace. Even though no other cars are blocking the way, the group of vehicles is still traveling very slowly Finally, after ten minutes, they arrive at the front of the castle.

The chauffeur steps out of the car and opens Killua's backdoor. "This way, please."

Killua slowly steps out and looks at the massive palace in awe. "Wow! This thing is huge! And I'm going to be living in it!"

"Of course, all of this solely for you." The chauffeur agrees with a slight nod. "If you want, we'd be happy to give you a tour around the palace after the Ceremony."

"Nah. I want to explore this place with my friend. It'll be more fun that way."

"Sure thing. But before that, you have to be in the Grand Hall within ten minutes. So please pick up the pace a little bit. We're going to escort your friend to the Hall too, but he'll be sitting with the other viewers.

As Killua walks on the red carpet laid out in front of him, his eyes are glancing around all of the beautiful paintings and chandeliers on the walls and the ceiling. After ascending through countless flights of stairs. He arrives in front of the Grand Hall, on the fifth floor.

"The Ceremony will begin in five minutes. When it does, don't go in yet. The President of the Council will give a short briefing first. When it is your time, we'll open this big door for you, and you'll go in, give your speech, and you'll get crowned by the Elder of the Country."

" _I haven't even thought of my speech yet! Man! What should I say?"_

Killua paces through the long corridors of the palace, however, still not able to come up with anything to say. At last, when it is Killua's time to enter the Grand Hall, he whispers to himself silently. "I'm trusting you, Gon. I'll say my true feelings. I hope it'll work." With a slight nod, Killua takes his steps forward confidently and takes his stand behind the podium.

He has never seen so many gazes staring directly at him. There's gotta be hundreds, no thousands of people in this hall. The pressure is starting to make him crack. Among the sea of people, he doesn't look for the Elder who is going to be crowning him, he doesn't look for the Council. Instead, he searches desperately for his friend, Gon.

When Killua finally sees his friend, dressed up in a tuxedo, Gon shoots him a thumbs-up and provides him with the last bit of confidence he needs.

"He-hello, everyone." Killua says into the microphone. His voice trembling.

" _Be myself! Talk about my true feelings!"_

"Well, first things first, I must say I'm honored to stand here today, at this moment and...and be able to talk to you." He pauses and looks at Gon, as if asking " _What do I do now?"_

Instead of answering Killua's silent question, which is something Gon obviously can't do because he can't say anything, Gon nods at his friend confidently.

After receiving Gon's approval, Killua continues his speech. "Before we proceed on with the Ceremony, I want to make a confession." After pausing for a little bit, Killua says. "Many of you have though my last name as 'Freecss' right?"

The viewers begin to murmur quietly, some are starting to question Killua.

"'Freecss' isn't actually my last name." Killua says calmly. "My real last name is 'Zoldyck'."

The moment Killua says this, he feels like an invisible weight dangling half-way in his chest has finally landed onto the solid ground. To his surprise, however, none of them made any reactions when he said the name "Zoldyck".

"Looks like you haven't heard about the Zoldycks yet." Killua continues. "'Freecss' is the last name of my friend, Gon." Killua stops and waves at him in the middle of the crowd.

"Huh? Oh..Hey everyone!" Gon says awkwardly as thousands of pairs of eyes turn to him.

"You might ask 'Why are you telling us all of this right How?'" Killua continues. "Well, the answer is simple. If I don't even trust my own people with my secrets, how can you all trust me as a leader?...I'm sure some of you will doubt my abilities in the beginning due to my young age. I might need some assistance early on, but I promise, I won't disappoint you."

Even though this short speech is only about three minutes long, to Killua, it feels like three hours. But he gains fluency and confidence as he speaks. As a result, the end is really smooth and firm.

After finishing up, the officer next to him guides Killua to his throne on the right of the podium. Then he gestures to the elder, who is sitting on the left of the podium, to continue on with the Ceremony.

Suddenly, the entire hall is filled with music. Upon hearing it, everyone in the room stands up and begins to sing. Not knowing what the heck is going on, Killua quickly follows the crowd and stands up as well.

" _Oh! I get it now! This is the National Anthem!...Crap! I have no idea how to sing it!...I guess I'll just have to fake it."_

Because everyone is staring into the sky while singing the anthem, nobody notices Killua's messed up lip-matching.

The anthem ends after three minutes and everyone sits back down. The Elder walks toward the Podium and the Ceremony proceeds.

Silence falls upon the hall. The silence in this instant carries a new fire. Absent of tension, absent of zeal, absent of anything, this silence is legitimate. A quiet that falls equally upon the heart of Killua and of everyone in attendance. Only one person is granted the right to shatter it.

"—To the sun that gazes over the radiant world, to the stars that watch the realm in its sleep. To the winds, to the waters, to the earth, to the light, to the spirits residing in everything."

The silence shatters. The Elder sings the ceremonial rite.

"—To the grand world that received you, that nurtured you, that delivered you."

Trembling. Killua's heart is trembling. His teeth don't feel to sit right. What is his heart having trouble with?

"—To the pride that supports you, that you built, that you fostered."

He feels the heat in the gaze upon him compound. The passion burning inside him is ready to combust. His heart thumps wildly, maniacally, as he regardless waits for the question.

"—To everything that watches over you, to the world that raised you, to the pride that supports you, let your way cast no shame. Without fear, without dread, without doubt, be as you are in your heart."

The rite ends. The question is coming. This will complete the ceremony. Not even Killua knows the answer to this question. However,

"—With your will always strong, and as everything that surrounds you does, will you swear to lead this country and guide us through hardships from this moment forth?"

—His heart does know how to answer the Elder's question.

"To the sun, to the stars, to the world, to my pride—and."

He will announce his gratitude and determination to everything stated in the rites. Before he makes the pledge, he thinks of people who he assuredly must thank. And so the words come naturally from his lips:

"To the best of my friend, I swear. I will be the lighthouse, the beacon for this country. - My name is Killua Zoldyck."

The Elder slowly lifts the Crown from its cushion, walks over and hovers it over Killua's head. After giving a slight nod, he places it onto Killua's silver hair.

"Now the Staff of Command." The Elder says out loud. He carefully takes the one-yard long staff out of its wooden case, kneels down, and holds it high above his head with both hands.

Killua automatically stands up from his throne and places his right hand onto the staff. After taking a deep breath, he lifts out of the Elder's hands.

With the Crown on his head and the Staff in his right hand, Killua lifts his chin up a little and stares straight toward the sky and declares. "To the People of the Country of Yorlin. I am the new King!"


	35. Chapter 35 - Inside x The x Palace

**Chapter 35 - Inside x The x Palace**

"Yo Gon!" Killua waves at his friend as he steps off of the stage after the Ceremony ends.

"Congratulations! Killua. That shiny Crown looks really good on you." Gon smiles and says.

"Yeah...whatever. Speaking of this, do I have to wear this the whole time? It's nice and all, but I think it's going to start to drive me bananas."

"You only have to wear it when greeting other people." Gon explains.

"Oh. Thank God!" Killua sighs in relief. "Let's get out of this hall. The pressure is too much. I'm pretty sure if we don't leave now, people are going to come and talk to me and stuff." Killua groans.

"People are going to notice if the star of this show leaves. And plus, when the butlers see you around the palace, they'll know it's you because of your King's Cloak, and they'll send you back."

"So I just tell them to be quiet and don't send us back...Hehe." Killua shoots and thumbs-up.

"Sure...I guess." The two friends leave the Grand Hall through the rear exit. However, right when they step out, they are stopped by a guard.

"Your Majesty." The guard says after issuing a slight bow. "The party isn't over yet. It is inappropriate of you to leave halfway."

"Why do I have to be there anyway? The Ceremony is over! There's no point for me to stay! All of the grown-ups can talk about whatever they like. I don't want to be there." Even though Killua can easily command him to be quiet and get out of their way, he still decides to talk it out with him.

"Uhh…" The guard hesitates.

"Think about it. What can I do if I stayed? Talk about tax control with them?" Killua asks sarcastically.

"I shouldn't be arguing against with the King. You have apologies. Please proceed like none of them has ever happened."

"Alright. Thanks." Killua suddenly stops and turns around "Wait...what's your name?"

"We guards in the castle don't use names. We have numbers and tags that coordinates to each of us." He explains.

"What?! That's boring! You're not allowed to have names?"

"That is correct." The guard nods.

"That's not a lot of freedom for you guards, right?"

"We butlers' sole purpose is to serve and protect our employers. I think it might even be easier this way."

"That's what you were told to say everytime when someone asks you this question, right? It's not what you truly feel." Killua says sharply. "What number are you?"

"Number one-hundred seventy four."

"What?! There are that many guards and butlers in this castle?!" Killua exclaims in shock.

"There's a total of two hundred...Twenty for every floor."

"Heh...I think I know what my first issue as King will be." Killua says proudly.

 _-No response._

"What! Aren't you going to ask what it is?! Aren't you curious?" Killua shouts, surprised.

"It is none of my business to worry about the King's decisions. I am curious, but curiosity is something that can be concealed."

"Well, I'm going to allow you guys to have your own names." Killua declares. "It's also pretty hard for me to memorize every single number for all of you." He turns around and asks. "What do you say, Gon?"

"Sure. It's not like my opinion matters or anything. But I like the name thing."

"Alright… So how can I make this change? Like formally?" Killua turns back to the guard and asks.

"You'll have to tell the 'Director of Improvement'. Just write a note and put it on his desk or something. Most of the time, he'll listen to your suggestions. But for more important changes, like the ones regarding the entire country or anything on that scale, you'll need the Council's approval."

"Ahh...cool!...So what's your name going to be?"

"Mike." He answers. "It's my given name.

"Well, Mike, do you want to show us around the Palace? We're kinda new here."

Mike's eyes light up for a second after hearing Killua's request, but quickly dims back down. "I'd love to. But I have to stay on my duty. I have to stay here."

"Aw… That's boring…Let's go, Gon."

Gon hurries over and joins Killua as they leave Mike, who is standing behind the door alone.

"Now." Killua shouts loudly. "Let's get down to the first floor and start exploring this place from there!"

"Agreed!" The two friends high five each other and begin their life in the Castle.

"Oh shoot! I just realized something!" Killua suddenly yells. "I promised that Owen kid to free his dad from prison as soon as I become King."

"Oh?" Gon asks. "Who's Owen?"

"He was in our class back in that school." Killua explains. "He said that his father has been put into prison without any reason."

The two kids are currently wandering around the palace aimlessly, still exploring the place.

"I see… So...do you know who his dad is?"

"Uh… oops, I forgot to ask." Killua smiles awkwardly.

"Well, I guess we have to find him now." Gon says. "Do you know where he lives?"

"That's still a no...but I do know that he lives near the school."

"Wow thank Killua." Gon says sarcastically. "Let's just go search every single apartment in every single building around the school...I'm sure it'll be fun."

"Be quiet!" Killua shouts. "That's not helpful."

"Why don't you just send some of the butlers to find out." Gon suggests.

"Nah. Let's figure it out ourselves" Killua says. "We can't rely on someone the entire time, right?"

"True...So...Where do you want to start?"

"Let's go to the school area and start from there…But before that, I need to change into some normal clothes before we go. Our it'll be way too obvious for others to notice me."

"So you want to go undercover?" Gon asks.

"Of course. Or they're all going to crowd around me and stuff." Killua groans. "Man! The life of a celebrity is hard!"

"Well, since the party ended a few hours ago and all of the guests have left. So I'm pretty sure you can change into your regular clothes now."

"Speaking of which...I don't know where our clothes are." Killua says.

"Probably in our bedrooms."

"Where are our bedrooms?"

"Jeez! Don't ask me! How would I know?"

Killua turns around and walks toward a guard. "Yo, do you know where our bedrooms are?"

"Uh...your Majesty. Your bedroom is on the seventh floor. As for you're friend's room, I'm not sure. But it's probably in one of the guest rooms on the sixth floor."

"What?! We're not even on the same floor?" Killua groans. "They're going to free up one of the rooms on the seventh floor and Gon's going to move there…Can you take care of that?" He asks the guard.

"Uh...sure. As you wish." The guard issues a slight bow and leaves.

"Now...Gon." Killua turns around and says. "We haven't been to the bedroom yet. Let's go check it out! I bet it's really big!"


	36. Chapter 36 - A x Cruel x World

**Chapter 36 - A x Cruel x World**

 **Note to readers: I'm going to continue this Arc. I know for some of you this isn't your favorite Arc, so this is not going to take forever. Thank you for bearing with me here.**

"Look at this big fluffy bed!" Gon exclaims when they enter the King's Bedroom. "This is like a double-king-size bed."

"Ha! I knew it!" Killua sends himself flying across the room, crashing into the white mattress of the bed. "And the headboard is partially made out of gold too!"

"Killua, don't get too carried away here. You can enjoy your bed at night. Get changed and let's go." Gon says quickly.

"Aww...are you jealous?" Killua teases his friend at first, but then says. "It's alright, I'll tell them to get you a same bed in your room too."

"Hmm…" Gon nods. "Thanks."

Killua's old clothes (Navy blue undershirt, white T-shirt, and shorts) are on his nightstand to the right of the bed, folded neatly into a pile. After putting them on, Killua says. "Now...this is way more casual and comfy than that shirt and cloak. How do I look, Gon?"

"Hehe...cute." Gon jokes and smiles.

"Ehh?! I wasn't looking for that response!"

"Just kidding!" Gon laughs. "Let's go!"

"Do you want security to accompany you?" A guard asks as Killua and Gon as they step out of the main door of the castle.

"No. I just want to be with Gon."

"Understood." He issues a slight bow and backs off.

"Let's get a taxi and head over to the school area." Killua says to Gon.

After hopping into a taxi, Gon turns around and says. "You might need to wear a wig… People can still recognize you because of your iconic silver hair."

"You want me to wear a wig everytime I go out?" Killua asks.

"Uh...yeah." Gon murmurs quietly.

"No way! Number one, I have too much hair. Number two, my hair is way too messy. Number three, I hate wearing wigs, they're soooo uncomfortable."

"Well, it's your choice." Gon shrugs. "I just don't want people kissing up to you every five seconds."

"Heh." Killua smiles awkwardly. "Well, here's the school, we're here."

After paying the driver, the two boys step out of the car. "See?" Killua says. "The driver didn't notice my real identity."

"I think he did…" Gon says as he looks back at the taxi car.

"Why didn't he say anything then?"

"Curiosity is something that can be concealed."

"Whatever." Killua groans/

I'm going to ask the Guard at the front gate of the school about Owen. Maybe he has information regarding Owen's house." Gon suggests.

"Okay. I'll wait here."

"You're letting me do all the work here, Killua." Gon murmurs quietly.

"Hey, it's not like I don't want to. I just don't want them to recognize me."

Gon walks over to the guard post and asks. "Hey...Mister. I was wondering do you know where one of my classmates lives?"

"Huh? Oh it's you! I were at this school two days ago, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. I was here with….with…" Gon hesitates for a second. "With my friend."

"Yeah, I remember you two." The guard's face suddenly changes to a confused and shocked expression. "Wait! Was he… Is your friend the new King?!"

"What makes you say that?" Gon asks.

"Now that I think about it, he is, right? During his speech he said you're his friend. This makes perfect sense!" The guard shouts as he jumps up from his chair. "Where's he now? Or did he send you to do his errands."

"Nah, he's here." Gon turns around and yells. "Killua, come here. Mr. Guard wants to see you."

"Oh?" Killua says as he walks over slowly. "Hi."

"Your Majesty! What an honor to meet you!" The guard shouts.

"What's this? Two days ago you were treating me like a regular kid." Killua groans. "Stop it with the 'Your Majesty'. It's just Killua."

"Yes…" The guards nod. "How can I help you?"

"There's a kid named 'Owen' in this school." Killua says, "Where does he live?"

"Owen...Owen...there's a lot of Owens here. What grade is he in?" The guard asks as he goes through his list of students.

"Eighth."

"Aha! Found him!...Mmm...let's see...his family lives in building C, apartment number 0710."

"Uh...building C in what?" Gon asks.

"Huh? You didn't know? All of the students that go to this school live in that neighborhood." The guard points toward the group of buildings the Gon and Killua were living in a couple of days ago.

"Oh! Which means...Building C is the one that we were in!" Gon shouts as he begins to run. "Let's go! Killua."

"Oy! Wait up, Gon!" Killua chases after him immediately. "Thank you, Mr. Guard!"

"Yeah! No problem!" He waves at them in return.

"Room 0710...huh...that's the tenth room on the seventh floor." Gon says as they wait for the elevator to arrive.

"I hope they're home...or at least, I hope Owen is." Killua murmurs. "All of them would be a waste if he's not."

"All of the shops, work, and school are closed today, so where can he go?" Gon asks. "Ah! The elevator's here."

"I hope you're right."

The two of them stay completely quiet on their way up the elevator ride, neither of them says a single word. The silence is finally shattered by Gon's knocking on the 0710 door.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Gon asks, then turns around to Killua and whispers. "Only come when I tell you to, okay?"

Killua nods and walks over to the side.

"Uhh...Yes! Who is it?" A first asks. Then Owen comes crashing into the door. "Oh! Gon, right?"

"Yeah. Hey Owen!" Gon smiles and says cheerily.

"I didn't expect you to visit today. You'know...cuz there's no school and stuff. And I want to congratulate your friend."

"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Gon asks as he looks inside the room. The general size is around the same as the apartment Gon and Killua had, but it's a lot messier. "Are your parents home?"

"My mom is off partying with her friends like usual. My dad...well, he's not here."

A voice suddenly pops out behind Gon. "And I'm here to get him back."

"Y-your…" Shocked, Owen tries to kneel down for a greeting. However, Killua dashes toward him and stops him halfway.

"Jeez! Stop it with the honorifics and stand up! It's just Killua. We're classmates."

"Oh...thank you." Owen murmurs quietly and reluctantly stands up.

"So.. I promised that I'd help you get your father out of prison…" Killua's voice slowly trails off as he sees Owen's face. Tears gradually flow down his cheeks. "What wrong?"

"I-it's no use." Owen whispers as he sinks into the ground.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He's...no longer with us…" Owen sighs. "He committed suicide last night… In his cell."

"Oh…" Gon whispers behind them. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." Killua mutters. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"What can you do?...My old man's dead, you can't bring him back." He says without looking up.

"If talking about it can…" Gon tries to console Owen, but he cuts Gon's words off.

"Just leave me alone."

Killua opens his mouth and tries to say something, but he is stopped too by Owen's shout.

"I said just leave me alone!"

"Okay Killua, let's go." Gon whisper as he walks toward the door. "Hope you get better, Owen."

"Whatever, bye Owen." Killua waves him goodbye before shutting the door.

"Man! His attitude changed so dramatically during the conversation. When it just started, he seemed fine, but…" Gon whispers as they step into the elevator.

"I guess he was trying to forget about his dad… But we reminded him of his dad...I think that's why he's mad." Killua explains.

"Why did his father die yesterday?! We're here to help him, but he's just...gone."

"I guess a lot can happen in a day." Killua shrugs. "Someone might be perfectly fine today, but they can be gone tomorrow."

This world can be really cruel sometime!" Gon says loudly. "What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know… That encounter with Owen really shook me up. Let's go back to the palace."

"Sure, but this time, let's walk back." Gon smiles as he looks out the window of the elevator. "Let's enjoy the beautiful sunset together."

 _ **Timeskip (Six hours later)**_

"Why can't I fall asleep?" Killua asks himself. "It's already midnight."

He gets out of his bed, puts on a jacket, and walks out of his room. He stops and quietly opens the door to his right.

" _Gon's sleeping so peacefully, so carelessly. I wish I can be like him, free from all of the trouble in the world."_

Killua doesn't notice it, but the tip of his lips go upward in an arc.

After silently closing Gon's door, Killua walks down the grand staircase directly facing his room. "Where's the kitchen. I'll stop for some snacks."

Suddenly, he hears a voice somewhere in the distance.

" _Who is that?...By the sound of it, it's a man. But what can he possibly be talking about at this time of the day?"_

Without another question, Killua dashes over to the location of the sound. Because he's using Shadow Step, he doesn't cause any noise.

After going through two pitch-dark corridors, he arrives at the left-wing of the palace and stops in front of a room labeled. "Director of fun".

The room is dimly lit by a candle, Killua can see the silhouette of a skinny man inside, talking to someone on the phone. Their conversation is almost finished by the time Killua gets there. However, he is able to catch the last sentence.

"You don't have to worry. I promise, the new King and his friend will surely be dead...within two days."


	37. Chapter 37 - Thank x You x My Friend

**Chapter 37 - Thank x You x My Friend**

" _Gah!"_ Killua gasps as soon as he hears that last sentence. His initial instinct is to jump in and find out their secret plotting. However, he knows it's not the right thing to do. He knows the best thing to do is to sneak back into his room and prepare for it with Gon.

Killua pinches his thigh in order to calm down. " _What did Gon and I do wrong? Why are they trying to kill us?...Ah! Right now isn't the time to ask these questions. I have to get back to my room before he notices me._

Luckily, he makes it back to the front of his room without causing any commotion. However, before opening his door, he walks over to Gon's door and puts his hand onto the knob. " _Should I tell him about this? Right now?"_

" _Nah…"_ He let's go of the knob and walks back to his own room after briefly considering it. " _I'll let him get a good night's sleep."_

 _ **Timeskip (Nine hours later)**_

The first thing Killua sees when he wakes up is the chandelier hanging on the ceiling directly above him.

"It's morning already." Killua mutters to himself as he turns to look at the window. "I did not rest well. Still a little bit tired." Suddenly remembering the incident from last night, he yells. "Gon!" and runs out of his room.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." The guard outside his room greets him with perfect unison. However, Killua speeds past them without saying a single word, making a beeline for Gon's room.

"Gon!" Killua yells as he pushes open the door. "His worried expression suddenly relaxes when he sees Gon peacefully lying on his bed, still slightly snoring.

" _They didn't attack us yet…Which means they'll probably strike tonight…"_

"Huh? Killua?" Gon sits up and mutters. Killua's shout and movements woke him up.

"Oh hey, Gon. I didn't mean to wake you up. Just wanted to check in on you."

"It's already nine-thirty, I should be up anyways." Gon looks at the clock and says. "By the way, this bed is really comfy."

"Oh yeah? I have the same one...So I feel you." Killua nods in agreement.

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door, then a voice speaks up. "Your Majesty, a visitor wants to see you."

"Huh? Who is the visitor?" Killua asks.

"He claims to be your classmate."

"Alright. But I haven't had breakfast yet, give me thirty minutes."

"I'll tell him to meet you in the Grand Hall in half an hour." The guard confirms.

"Nah. The Grand Hall is way too formal. Just tell him to come to my bedroom. Since we're classmates, it should be fine."

"As you wish." The guard leaves with this sentence.

Killua turns around and says to Gon. "Alright, come to my bedroom in half an hour."

"Huh? I'm meeting him too?" Gon asks.

"Of course. If he's my classmate, he should also be your classmate." Killua explains as he stands up from Gon's bed.

"Oh..okay. See ya!" He waves Killua a goodbye before he leaves.

Gon peeks his head through the door to Killua's room. "Oh? The visitor isn't here yet?"

"Nah! You're just early." Killua says as he lies lazily on the bed.

"Where are we going to sit?" Gon searches around the room. " There are no tables or desks.

"Yeh...We'll sit on the bed, the other kid can sit in that chair." Killua points toward a chair in the corner of the room.

Someone suddenly knocks on the door "Can I come in?"

"Who's this...your voice sounds really familiar." Killua says.

He pushes open the door and enters before answering Killua's question.

"I never said you can enter, but sure." Killua says without looking up. When he finally does lift his face, he sees a grey-haired boy standing in front of the door.

"Oh...you're...Ben?" Killua asks suspiciously.

"So you still remember me. I'm kinda surprised." Ben says with a disgusted tone.

"Oy! First of all, you didn't even go through the formal greetings. Second of all, what's with your angry tone?"

Gon whispers next to Killua, "I thought you didn't like the formal greetings."

"Your right, I don't like it... But it just feels weird, because he didn't even try to be polite." Killua mutters.

"Are you just going to let your guest stand around here? Where's my seat?" He demands.

"Number one, I didn't invite you, so you're not a guest. Number two, show some respect, will you?" Killua says as he gets off of his bed.

Both of them raises their volume, staring into each other's eyes with a hostile look.

"I thought we were all cleared after what happened that day!" Killua shouts. "So why are you here?"

"Just that wasn't enough to make up for what you did!" Ben screams.

"Hold on...What did I do?" Killua lessens his voice a little bit and asks.

Tears flow down Ben's cheeks. He wipes them off and starts talking quietly. "My m-mother...was a delightful and nice woman. She would come home everyday and bring me toys and stuff to play with. Her job wasn't exactly honorable, but she was wealthy. Being the owner of a drug company, she made a lot of enemies at work. People would get addicted to her drugs. As a result, their families would hate my mother." Ben pauses for a second and takes a deep breath. "One of her customers hired an assassin and murdered my mother… One day, when I came home from school, the first thing I saw when I opened my apartment's door was her corpse."

"What does that have to do with Killua?" Gon asks from the side.

"The assassin who killed my mother… is a member of the 'Zoldyck' family!" As Ben screams out this last sentence, he takes a knife out of his pocket and runs toward Killua. "I've been waiting to get revenge ever since!"

Multiple guards immediately rush into the room, dash toward Ben and pin him to the ground.

"Let him up." Killua commands.

"Huh?" One of the guards asks. "But he just tried to kill you, Your Majesty."

"He...has a personal grudge against me… Let him up. And all of you leave this room.

"I-if you're doing this as an effort to repay your murder of my mother, it's not even close to being enough!" Even though Ben is helpless struggling on the ground, he isn't showing any fear.

As the guards begin to exit the room, Ben immediately stands back up. Still clenching the knife in his right hand.

"I'll head out too." Gon says quietly as he walks out of the room, leaving the Killua and Ben alone in the quiet room.

"If you want to fight me…" Killua begins quietly. "You're not going to win… The result will be the same as last time's."

"Then I'll join my mother in heaven, while you'll reveal your true nature as a murderer and end up in hell!"

"What makes you think I'm the one who killed your mother?" Killua asks calmly, completely unaffected by Ben's words. "As a member of a family of assassins. I'm used to threats. There's nothing you can do or say to me, that others haven't already said or done." With this last sentence, Killua's eyes turn completely black, blank of all emotions.

"Shut up!" Ben leaps toward him with his knife. However, before the blade can pierce through Killua skin, he disappears and dodges the attack in the last second.

"Huh?! Where did you go?" Ben begins to retreat cautiously, continually turning around to check if Killua is behind him.

" _Not knowing the precise location of your opponent can deal a lot of psychological damage to your enemy."_ This is one of the first skills Killua learned as an assassin.

"Show yourself!" Ben yells. "Are y-you scared? Are you scared to fight me?"

"I can really be asking you the same question." Killua mutters.

"Behind me!" Ben shouts. However, by the time he turns around, Killua is already gone.

"Do you think I enjoy killing?" Killua suddenly stops his movement and asks while standing still. Directly in front of Ben.

"Of course! Killing is in a monster's blood!" Ben swings his knife in an attempt to hit Killua. However, Killua slices Ben's blade cleanly in half using his claw-like fingernails.

"W-what?!" Ben gasps. "How did you break my knife?"

"Tsk." Killua scoffs as dashes over to Ben's side and pins him to the ground, with his claws hovering right above his neck.

"If you going to kill me, don't hesitate!" Ben shouts.

Suddenly, someone screams outside the room. It's coming from downstairs. Killua freezes after hearing the shout and slowly reverts back to normal from his assassination mode. He immediately dashes out of the room and down the stairs with a worried expression, completely forgetting about Ben. Because for Killua, the person who just screamed for help is a higher priority.

"Gon!"

When he finally arrives downstairs, he sees Gon lying on the floor, completely motionless.

"Gon!" Killua yells again. 'What happened? Are you okay?!"

"S-someone...stabbed me when I w-wasn't looking… He broke the bones in my right leg and my right arm" Gon groans in pain. Occasionally coughing up blood.

"We have to get you to a hospital right now!" Killua says desperately with tears in his eyes.

"That'll depend on if you can defeat me." A man steps out of the shadows with a sly smile on his face.

"Killua...run. He's the one who did this to me." Gon manages to squeeze this sentence out of his mouth. "Y-you can't beat him."

" _This man completely destroyed Gon in such a short period of time… He must be a formidable opponent… I have to be careful."_

"But Gon! I can't just leave you here!" Killua shouts.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Someone walks up to Killua from behind. "Who's the scared one now?"

" _-hk!"_ Killua gasps. "Ben! Was this your plan the whole time?! You were with me in my room as a distraction?!"

"Yup!" Ben grins. "Even the servants in the palace. They were told to leave the castle."

"So what are you going to do now?! Fight or die?" The man in front of Killua asks with a hurry.

As Killua is processing all of this information, Gon leaps toward the man with his remaining strength. Using his one arm to try to hold him in place. "Run, Killua, run!"

"Gon! What are you doing?! Killua yells in desperation.

Gon grabs onto the man's foot, refusing to let go. However, his body is being kicked and smashed against the wall.

"Continue to live your life, Killua. Don't throw it away like it's nothing… I want to stay with you…" Gon chuckles slightly. "But I guess my chapter ends here. It's time for you to start a new book."

"Please...take this with you." Gon takes his Hunter's License from his pocket and chucks it toward Killua.

He receives it with both hands and holds it dearly next to his chest.

"Killua…" Gon mutters again. "Thank you."

Even when Gon is on the verge of dying, even when he can feel nothing but pain, even when he no longer has the strength to move, he's still muttering the name of his best friend...with a smile.

"You put me to shame." With this last sentence, Killua turns around and leaves the castle… alone.


	38. Interlude 1 - Killua x And x Gon

**Interlude 1 - Killua x And x Gon**

It's a clear night sky. No clouds are blocking the view of the clear sky.. Instead, hundreds of thousands of stars scatter across the entirety of the firmament. The stars, along with the shimmering moonlight, provides just enough lighting to see the long road ahead.

"This place is so quiet during night time…" Killua says quietly as he walks on a meadow. Everything around him is completely silent. This is a place of complete tranquility.

Killua is still thinking about the tragic incident with Gon three hours ago. His face is still covered with tears. He slowly reaches down into his pocket takes a plastic card out..

" _Gon's Hunter License…. It reminds me...of when I first met him… at the Hunter's Exam."_

" _I started talking to him just 'cause he was my age, but he turned out to be as physically capable as me... He seems to be a laid-back kid, but he always sticks to his principles. We're polar opposites…"_

" _Before I knew it, he had become my one and only best friend."_

" _Yet...I...left him and betrayed him!" He_ bites his teeth firmly, as if regretting his decision.

Once he reaches this point, the dam within him bursts. Memories of him and Gon together rushes into his head, overwhelming him.

 _-"Killua, thank you! I'm glad you came with me. No, I'm just glad that I got to know you!"_

And -

 _\- "It has to be Killua! Even if Bisky or Hisoka held the ball, I wouldn't be able to use my full strength. The only reason why I can devote everything into the ball is because Killua is holding it for me!"_

"And right now… when you are not around me… I suddenly don't know what to do anymore." Killua mutters.

"I still need you, Gon. You gave my life a purpose." Killua stops walking and turns around to look into the distance. "I shouldn't be walking away. I should head back."

" _But Gon has to be dead for sure. If you go back there, you'll die too."_ A voice whispers in Killua's head.

"Shut up! I can go back and try to save him!" Gon shouts to himself.

" _He sacrificed himself for you. Remember his last words? He wants you to continue your life, don't throw it away. Imagine how disappointed he would be if you got back and died too. All of his effort to save you would result in nothing."_

"But...but.." Killua mutters again. Still debating with his other side.

Suddenly, Killua's stare solidifies into determination. "Those were his last words to Killua, his best friend. Not Killua the coward!" He slowly places his foot in the other direction, to walk back toward the direction of the castle.

" _I promise, I'll never betray my friend."_ He remembers his promise with his father from four years ago.

"Never!" Killua shouts. "Gon! I'm coming!"

With heavy steps and heart, Killua seeks redemption. Slowly, but surely, he'll get to the light at the end of the tunnel.


	39. Chapter 39 - I x Miss x You

**Chapter 39 - I x Miss x You**

"Gon!" Killua snaps into the reality with a shout, his body covered in sweat.

"Wow, I just wanted a short break. I didn't know I would fall asleep... " While leaning against a tree, he looks into the horizon in his view. The sun is slowly peeking its head bit by bit.

"I must've slept for four or five hours…" Killua mutters to himself. "I must get going then."

"Gon." Killua calls out for his friend instinctively. But after remembering what happened yesterday, he quietly shuts his eyes and sighs. "Oh right… he's not here anymore."

Killua shakes his head in desperation, trying to forget the tragic memories. "I can't drown myself these memories of the past…"

After taking a deep breath, Killua sets out for the castle, in the brimming sunlight.

 _ **Timeskip (5 hours later)**_

Before Killua reaches the palace, his body freezes in surprise as he sees the outline of the castle.

"There's light coming from inside the building. Which means people are still living in it?" Killua murmurs.

He reaches the front gate and rings the doorbell, however, nobody answers.

"I'm going in." Killua shouts as he slams his fist into the door and successfully breaks it.

The scene in front of Killua reminds him of what happened yesterday. But… something's wrong. It's a significant, yet an easy to overlook detail.

"Something is out of place… Something is missing here" Killua mutters to himself. "...Where's Gon? Even if he's dead...his body should still be here."

However, after further consideration, "Or did the intruders from yesterday take his body too?"

It pains him in the heart to even think about how he can't see Gon again. Killua pauses for a second, tears uncontrollably wells up in his eyes. "I never even got to say goodbye."

Without saying another word, Killua runs upstairs to Gon's room. "Everything's still here. All of Gon's stuff, his backpack." Killua glances around the room. "Hold on… his backpack?"

Killua leaps toward it immediately, hoping to be able to salvage something, something else besides the Hunter's License as a souvenir. He rummages through the backpack, however, all he can find is Gon's clothes.

"Man! Nothing here?" Killua sighs. Just when he's about to zip the bag back up and leave the room, something sitting at the bottom of the bag catches his attention.

"What?" He reaches down and takes it out of the bag.

It's a picture, it's the picture that Gon, Killua, and Alluka took four years ago, when the two friends departed. Killua gasps as soon as he sees it. Then, he collapses onto the ground, his silent sobs turn into loud wailing.

"H-how do you still have this?" Even though he knows there's no way Gon will answer him, he asks the question anyway.

"T-then, this means, Gon had this picture with him the entire time! He cared about me so much he kept it this whole time as a reminder!"

Killua flips the picture over, there's a sentence on the back. A sentence was written by Gon. It reads:

" _You may have a monster in your heart. But if that monster is your darkness, then I have a reason to light it up."_

"Gon…"

He slowly brings the picture toward his chest and holds it there for a solid five minutes, as if still reminiscing his embrace with his friend.

"I miss you...Gon." Killua mutters quietly. "No…Thank you, best of my friend."

He speaks this sentence with the deepest sincerity and emotions. This thank you, is four years overdue.

As Killua is upstairs mourning his friend, he hears light footsteps downstairs. His body freezes in shock. " _Who's still here?"_

Then a voice speaks up. The voice, although awfully hoarse, sounds familiar to Killua. However, because Killua is still sobbing, he doesn't hear the exact words the person says.

He stuffs the picture into his pocket, stands up, and walks out of the room. And at the bottom of the staircase, directly in front of him, stands a man.

"Huh? Kid, why are you back again? Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday? Do you want to end up in the same place as your friend?" The man yells.

"Where's he now?!" Killua shouts.

"Why are you asking me?! Didn't you take his body with you?"

"You...don't have him?" Killua asks, disbelieved.

"Of course not! Now! Get outa here!" He waves his hand toward the door and yells.

"Why are you here?" Killua turns the topic and states the question that has been hovering in his mind in the past day. "If it's to kill me, the King, why did you kill Gon?"

"Don't you get it?" The man says. "All we wanted to do is to drive you out of power. We're a secret organization which prefers anarchy. We have our people in every city's government. Since we want to run things our way, we don't want a King pointing things around."

"Why are you telling me all of this now?"

"It's not like you're going to retake the throne or anything. You'll be in the newspaper by tomorrow for being assassinated. It'll be impossible for you to come back to this country."

Killua takes a deep sigh, turns around and walks outside. "I just wanted to live in peace. When Gon and I came here, we just wanted to go to school like normal. But his whole King thing popped in out of nowhere." He pauses for a second. "But look at me now…"

"Oh..Killua? That's your name, right?" The man's voice suddenly softens.

"Yes?"

"Before I left him, ... " He quietly shuts his eyes. "With his final breaths, Gon wanted to wish you good luck, as you continue your life."


	40. Chapter 40 - Never x The x Same

**Chapter 40 - Never x The x Same**

Killua sighs and continues to walk away from the palace. He doesn't turn around, he doesn't look back, he doesn't want to be reminded of that tragic part of his life.

"What do I do now?" Killua murmurs. "If Gon is here, he would have an idea."

Killua wanders along the side of a long road, aimless, without a purpose, and all alone. "I don't want to go back to the Zoldyck Estate…"

" _If you're ever tired, you can always come home."_ His father's words suddenly appear in his head.

"Did my dad really predicted that this will eventually happen one day and I'll have to come home?" Killua asks himself.

"I don't want to go back there!...But what can I do if I don't? Wander around the streets?" Killua laughs at himself coldly. "I'm just completely useless without Gon."

"I guess I have to take care of something else before going back to the family house." Killua stops walking. "I have to go to Whale Island and tell Aunt Mito about...Gon. I guess...it'll be at least an apology."

"Nothing good comes out of me." Killua sighs, "I guess people were right about being friends with an assassin. It just...can't happen."

Killua slowly turns around and walks toward the direction of Gon's home. He's not going to book a flight, not going to schedule an airship, and not going to book a boat or a ferry. He's going to walk the entire way. Because for Killua, he feels it's the least he can do to seek redemption.

He is at a stage where he's questioning his own self-esteem, his own reason to live. He's drowning in an indescribable amount of emptiness.

 _ **(7 days later)**_

After a whole week of running, Killua finally arrives on Whale Island. Even though the surroundings didn't change much, a much heavier atmosphere looms over the island in Killua's view.

"What can I say when I meet Aunt Mito?" Killua murmurs. "She'll definitely break down and cry..and probably get really mad at me."

"Well, here's the house." Killua now stands directly in front of the front door of Aunt Mito's house. He takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell.

"Yes? Who is it?" Someone yells from inside the house.

"It's me, Ki…." Killua suddenly jerks his body in surprise when someone opens the door.

That person, is not Aunt Mito, it's not Ging, it's….

"Gon!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Killua throws his backpacks away and jumps straight toward his friend. However, instead of having similar reactions as Killua, Gon sends Killua flying backward with a push.

"Who are you?!" Gon shouts.

"Huh?" Killua stands up from the ground, his voice shaking. "I'm K-Killua, your best friend. G-Gon, stop joking around."

"No idea what you're talking about." Gon says as he closes the door. "Now get lost before I report you!"

"W-what?" Killua quietly asks himself. " _This isn't a prank. His face was dead serious… But how can this happen? He forgot about me?"_

Suddenly, the door of the house opens again. This time, Aunt Mito steps out and says. "Killua, come here."

"Uh...Okay." Killua stands up and slowly walks over. "You saw what happened, right?"

"Yeah… He forgot about me too when he came home four days ago." She pauses for a second. "It seems like...he lost his memories."

Gon enters the front portion of the house and starts to yell at Killua again. "Huh?! Why are you here?! I told you to get out!"

"Gon!" Aunt Mito yells. "Calm down! He's a friend!...He's your… best friend." Her voice shrinks in volume as she speaks. "Gon, go to your room upstairs for a second." She whispers.

"Mmm...okay." Gon nods and heads upstairs.

Once Gon's out, Aunt Mito turns around to Killua and says. "Let's sit down." She gestures to the dining table. "Can you tell me...how did you two end up...separated?"

"It's a really sad story...but I'll tell you the truth, the whole thing. All the way, from the beginning."

"...And that's why I left Gon. I decided to come here to inform you about Gon's...situation. But now…" With this sentence, Killua wraps up his story.

"I see…" Aunt Mito sips her water and says. "I'm glad you care about him so much."

"Gon cares more about me." Killua whispers. "But right now… Gon doesn't even know me."

"Well, Killua. You don't have to deal with him right now. I'll try my best to get him back to normal. I feel bad when I drag you into this since this isn't even your family."

"I-I've always thought of Gon's family...as my family...You guys are really nice and warm...way better than mine…" Killua pauses. "But I guess...I guess… I overestimated myself."

"N-no, Killua. That's not what I meant." Mito quickly goes to correct herself, but Killua interrupts her.

"It's okay… I understand. I don't care what the reasons are, I'm staying with Gon." Killua says with firm determination. "He has always been by my side when I needed help. There's no way I'm leaving."

"I see." Mito nods. "Thanks… for believing in him."

"Even if it means to rebuild our friendship from zero, even if we have to start again as strangers… I believe, that we'll still get there one day."

"How...how are you able to devote so much into Gon?" Mito asks.

"Gon once said...that no matter where we go, we'll always be friends. If I just leave him here and pretend none of this ever happened, I'll feel terrible...Friends are supposed to help each other."

"What are you going to do? Like how can you get him back?" Mito asks as she stands up.

"I'm not sure...but for right now, I'll hang around him so he can trust me a bit more." Killua says.

" _Gon, don't worry. I'll help you get your memories back. But for the time being, I'll protect you!"_


	41. Chapter 41 - Starting x From x Zero

**Chapter 41 - Starting x From x Zero**

"Gon!" Killua yells as he runs up the stairs to Gon's room after the took with Aunt Mito.

"What is it?" Gon shouts from inside his room, annoyed.

"Can I come in?" Killua asks politely.

"No." Gon walks to his door and locks it.

Killua doesn't stop him, he is simply standing outside of Gon's room, patiently waiting. "I'll just wait you out then."

"I'll just stay in my room!" Gon pouts.

"Sure… suit yourself."

The door to Gon's room opens, and Gon steps out.

"Oy, Gon. That wasn't even ten minutes." Killua says. "You give up already?"

"Nah. I just feel bad for you." Gon murmurs. "Come in."

"Aha! Even though Gon lost his memory, his personality didn't change."

"So...what do you want?" Gon gestures to a chair for Killua to sit in and asks.

"I have a few questions that I need you to answer." Killua says with a determined voice.

"Okay." Gon sits on his bed himself.

"How did you revive yourself back in the palace and get all the way here?"

"Huh? Revive myself? What are you talking about?"

"Where were you five days ago?" Killua decides to change his sentence and asks again.

"Five days ago…" Gon puts his hand under his chin in consideration. "I have no idea."

"What do you mean you have no idea? Just think back. What were you doing five days ago?"

"I-I can't… There's like a hole in my memories… I just can't remember." Gon murmurs.

"So...Gon not only forgot about names, but he also lost his memories on everything else… If this is the case…" Killua looks up again and asks. "Do you know 'Nen'?"

"What this heck is Nen?" Gon scratches the back of his head in confusion.

"Wow...so you really forgot about EVERYTHING." Killua sighs. "Man! How can I get his memories back?!"

"Killua?" Gon speaks up timidly. "Is that your name?"

"Yeah."

"What happened to me?"

"You….N-nothing." Killua looks down at the floor.

"Just tell him the truth, Killua." Aunt Mito suddenly enters the room and says. "Lying is bad."

"He's scared!" Killua shouts back. "It's okay to lie when people are scared!"

"Oh…" Mito silently turns around and walks out of the room.

"Killua…" Gon mutters again.

"Yes?" Killua turns around and fakes a smile for Gon.

"I have no idea what's going on…" Gon pauses for a second. "But...T-Thank you."

"-hk!" Killua gags. He tries desperately to hide his flowing tears, but they uncontrollably flow down his cheeks. "Don't thank me… I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do. Helping a friend."

"Everything will be fine, Gon." Killua reassures him again. "I promise."

Suddenly, an idea floats into Killua's mind. "If...If...my brother Illumi was able to practically revive himself with those Magic Stones. It won't be a stretch if Gon uses it to recover his memories!"

"Huh?" Gon asks. "What are you talking about?"

"A solution! It can actually work!" Killua shouts as he jumps toward Gon and hugs him. "We're going to get you back, Gon!"

This time, unlike before, Gon doesn't shove Killua away, he accepts him. Because he knows, that Killua is doing all of this for his sake. Deep down his heart, he is slowly considering Killua as a friend.

"Gon, are you ready to go on an adventure?" Killua asks excitedly.

"Uh...to where?"

"My family estate! We're going to find those Magic Stones!" Killua shouts happily.

"Uh...sure." Gon agrees, but with much less enthusiasm.

"Aww, c'mon, Gon. Cheer up! It'll be fun!"

"Boys!" Aunt Mito shouts from downstairs. "Stop shouting!"

"Aunt Mito!" Killua yells. "Is it okay if Gon and I leave tomorrow?"

"Leave for what? Go where?"

'I have a plan for recovering Gon's memories!" Killua shouts confidently.

"Oh...Sure." She agrees reluctantly. "Just...don't cause any trouble again!"

"Don't worry! We won't!" With this last sentence, the two boys begin to pack for their trip tomorrow.

As Killua lies on a bed in Gon's room at night, the moonlight shines through the open window and onto his face.

"This trip will be a lot of work for me, because Gon is clueless and doesn't know Nen." But instead of being annoyed, Killua whispers. "But it'll definitely be worth it."

Then he falls asleep with a smile on his face.

It's the morning of the next day, Gon and Killua head out of the house after breakfast, their destination is the Kukuroo Mountains, the Zoldyck's estate.

"Take care, boys!" Aunt Mito says as she waves them goodbye.

"Bye, Aunt Mito!" The two boys shout back together.

In the glowing sunlight, Gon and Killua depart from Whale Island. A new journey lies ahead of them.

The story of Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck will start anew.

Their lives will start over, from square one.

-No, from zero.


	42. Chapter 42 - A x New x Stage

**Chapter 42 - A x New x Stage**

 _ **(5 days after departing Whale Island)**_

"Gon!" Killua turns around and yells at his friend. "Hurry up! We're almost at the testing gate!"

"Jeez! For the one-millionth time, stop rushing me!" Gon shouts back as he barely manages to keep up.

"What happened, Gon? Looks like you lost a good amount of your strength." Killua says. "Can you try to push open the Testing Gate? I want to see if you are strong enough to open it."

"Sure…" Gon jokes sarcastically. "You're probably just not strong enough to and you're trying to find an excuse."

"What?! That's sooo false!" Killua shouts defensively.

"Couldn't you tell the sarcasm in my voice?" Gon mutters. "Anyway, is this it?" He points toward the huge stone gate standing in front of them.

As they approach the gate, Zebro, the guard steps out of his hut and greets them.

"Master Killua! Good afternoon! I didn't expect you back within only a few months after the last time you were here…. I see you brought Gon with you."

"What?! How do you know me?" Gon shouts in confusion.

"Oh...right. Quick explanation, Gon lost his memories. We here to find the Magic Stones that Illumi used. We hope we can restore Gon's memories with it." Killua explains.

"Ah! Since the last time you were here, people have been coming here in search of those stones." Zero says. " Because there are not enough for everyone, they've been organizing tournaments. The winner of every tournament will receive a Magic Stone."

"Do I have to participate in the tournaments?" Killua asks. "I'm a member of the Zoldyck family, I should get a free past, right?"

"The Stones are found near the Kukuroo Mountains, but that doesn't mean it's owned by the Zoldyck family…" Zebro explains silently. So I'm afraid you have to take part in the tournament like everybody else."

"Man!" Killua groans in discomfort. "Where's the Magic Stone place then?" He looks up and asks Zebro.

"You'll have to walk along the walls around the estate." He points to the right. "The tournament takes place underground. I don't know about the exact details, but from what I heard, it's a brawl to see who surrenders first."

"Aww...We're not even going to go through the Testing Gate?" Killua whines. "I wanted to see Gon push open it."

"Uh...Master Killua. Gon can try to push it and then come back out." Zebro says.

"Sooooo...whadya say, Gon?" Killua turns around and gestures to the gate, "Give it a shot."

"I don't know…" Gon murmurs. But contradicting to his words, he slowly walks over to it.

" _When I was here last time, I was able to open the sixth door...Let's see how Gon does."_

With a loud grunt, Gon devotes all of his strength into the push. The result however, is pretty unexpected.

"Ow!" Gon falls onto the ground because of the momentum sending him forward. "I opened the first and the second doors…" He murmurs as he climbs up. "Is that good?"

"To be honest, you should've been able to open at least the fourth door. But you almost died a week ago, that probably sapped a lot of your energy."

"How many can you push open, Killua?" Gon asks.

"Me? Oh…" Killua hesitates for a second. "Up to the fourth gate."

"Master Killua, you o….." Because Zebro was there the last time Killua opened the Testing Gates, he knows he could open up to the sixth one. But before he can correct him, Killua cuts him off.

"Nah, it's the fourth one."

Sensing that Killua is trying to hide something, Zebro lets it slide as well. "Oh...okay."

" _I didn't tell Gon the truths because they there will be a huge gap between us. It can distance him from me. I can't let that happen, I have to get him as close to me as possible."_

"Alright, we should get going then." Killua suggests. "Let's go, Gon."

"Okay!" Gon hurries over to Killua and waves the guard goodbye. "Bye, Mr. Zebro!"

" _Well, even though he lost his memories, he's still the straightforward and delightful kid from years ago."_ Zebro smiles and waves back.

After walking for about an hour, the two boys finally arrive at the entrance to the underground Magic Stone tournament arena. The entry is basically a cave with stairs descending into the underground. The tunnel is being lit by torches. However, the place is really messy.

Before they even reach the bottom of the staircase, the sound of shouting overwhelm their ears.

Inside, there is a stone stage in the center of the room. The room itself is about the size of two tennis courts. Two people are currently dueling on the stage while all of the others are spectating around and under.

"This place reminds me of Heaven's Arena." Killua groans. "Except it's worse."

"Huh? Heaven's Arena? What's that?" Gon asks.

"Uh...Nevermind… Let's go ask about how this whole thing works." The two boys manage to squeeze through the crowd and make their way over to the Sign-up Front Desk.

"So….ummm…" Killua speaks up to the receptionist. "I heard that if you want to get those Magic Stones, you'll have to win tournaments here. Is that right?"

"Uh...yes.. But...y-you. Are you signing up?" The lady sitting behind the desk asks, shocked.

"Yeah. What's the problem?"

"I w-wouldn't recommend a k-kid signing up for this." Her voice is shaking.

"You're worrying too much." Completely relaxed, Killua answers with a smile on his face.

"A few other kids signed up for this a while ago, most of them ended up in the hospital. One was dead." She pauses for a second. "But whatever, it's your choice. I look up some free time for you to fight."

"Thanks."

"Oh!" The lady suddenly looks up from her computer screen. "Lucky you! There's one more spot left for this week's brawls."

"Then this would mean either Gon or I have to fight." He turns around and asks his friend. "I'll do it, okay?"

"Oh...umm. Are you sure? You are doing this for me?"

" _You don't understand...all of the things you've done for me until now."_

"Of course!" Killua shoots Gon a thumbs up and shouts. When he's done, he turns around and asks the lady. "When am I fighting and who's my opponent?"

"Your fight will take place right after this current one…However, before I can answer your second question, I need to know your name, so I can complete your registration first."

"My name is Killua Zoldyck."

 _-hk!_ The woman gasps as she practically jumps out of her chair.

"What's the matter?" Killua tries to peek over the computer curiously. "Who's my opponent?"

"S-Silva...Zoldyck…. Your own father."


	43. Chapter 43 - Father x And x Son

**Chapter 43 - Father x And x Son**

"Killua! Your match is up!" Gon yells as he runs into Killua's waiting room before the game. "Come on! Get excited!"

"How?! I'm going to fight my dad!" Killua shouts.

"Is your dad really strong?" Gon asks cluelessly.

"Yes, he is! But that's not what I'm worried about right now!" Killua stares at the ground with a troubled expression.

"Then what are you…" Gon tries to ask, but,

"I'll go now." Interrupting him, Killua says as he stands up and walks to walks to the door.

"Mmm. Good luck, Killua!" Gon shouts cheefully..

 _Killua pushes the door open and steps onto the stage. However, he can't shake the feeling of "I'm scared...because… the last time I was here, Gon was the one who came to me in the last second and saved me from Illumi's words. But now, with Gon clueless, can I still withstand the lure of my family?"_

Even though Killua's eyes are full of determination, the moment Silva, his father steps onto the stage to face him, his face immediately becomes distorted.

"Alright! Now! Before we begin, you might already know them, but I'm going to say the rules. Number one, this will be a duel, you are allowed to use or do anything, even try to kill each other. But if your opponent surrenders, you have to stop fighting. Number two, the four ways you can win are: if your opponent forfeits, if you kill them, if you knock them out, or if you immobilize them. If you win this round, you'll advance to the quarterfinals of this 16-people tournament!" The referee, who is also standing on the stage, shouts the rules out. "Now! Without further due! Let's get started!"

"Who will emerge victorious in this match between the Zoldyck family?! Three, two, one...Fight!"

Unlike any other match, where the fighters immediately dash off and launch straight into attacks, neither Killua nor Silva does anything. They just stand there, silently staring at each other. They haven't talked to each other in four years.

"Kil." Silva begins. His face is both confused and excited.

"Dad." Killua answers quietly.

"Kil, what brings you here?"

"I can ask you the same question." Even though he is intimidated, Killua does his best to hide his fear.

Silva sighs, "You've changed."

"I'm glad you noticed."

"Let me ask you again, why are you here?" Silva takes a step toward Killua. His immensepresence intimidates his son, causing Killua to take a few steps back to maintain a distance between them.

"Gon." Killua murmurs. "He lost his memory, I'm trying to get a Magic Stone so he can get his memory back."

"Gon…" Silva mutter the name under his breath. "I remember you saying that name four years ago. He was your friend, wasn't he?"

"He still is my friend!" Killua shouts. "Now answer my question! Why are you here?!"

"Just to get some Stones for extras. The remaining amount of those stones are low. With all of these people coming here and obtaining these stones, they'll eventually run out."

"You can't spare one of those stones? There are people in more desperate situations than you!"

"I originally encouraged you to adventure with Gon." Silva says. "But I thought you would eventually come home one day…It turns out I was wrong."

"So?"

"I want you to live a happy life, but I must despise Gon for taking you away from the Zoldyck Family."

People in the crowd are starting to get impatient, "Silva, just kill that kid already!"

"What's taking so long!?" Another shouts.

"Yeah! Just get it over with!"

"Kil, if you and I are in a full-on fight, who do you think would win?" Silva asks with a soft tone.

"Probably you." Killua mutters back.

Silva slowly gets into his battle stance, "Good. Even knowing that, you'll still take me on?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Killua answers immediately, without much thinking. "I won't use any assassination skills you guys taught me. I'll never use them again."

"Kil. Why do you hate being an assassin so bad?"

"Because I discovered there are many more colors more beautiful than red, the color of blood. I was losing myself in assassination for the first eleven years of my life. I didn't learn how to enjoy the world." Killua says dreamily, his eyes wavering.

"Kil, come home. If Gon lost his memories, then he doesn't remember anything. Kil, I'm asking you for the last time, come home." Silva raises his volume and asks.

"If… If I come back to you...what will I get in return? All I can do is kill...There's no happiness. You might enjoy murdering people, but I'm not the same as you." Killua pauses and points at Gon in the middle of the crowd. "Look! He's clueless right now! He can very easily turn around and leave me. In his view, we just met about a week ago. But he's not leaving me behind. Do you know why?!"

"Yes...I do, Kil."

"No you don't! You don't, and you never will! Because the only way you enjoy life is by killing people! You've never experienced something called friendship!"

"K-kil." Silva whispers.

"I promised you that I will never betray a friend four years ago!" Emotions peaking, electricity aura and sparks begin to surround his body. "If I leave a friend who I have the ability to help, would I be betraying him?!"

" _Godspeed!"_

The spectators gasp at the sight of such an amazing amount of power emerging from Killua. His father is, of course, shocked too.

"Kil… You w-would…." His voice slowly drifts off.

Without another word, Killua dashes directly toward his father. " _Lightning palm!"_ Because his speed is so fast, all people can see is a bright beam of light zapping toward Silva.

Right before Killua reaches his father, however, Silva resignedly shuts his eyes and whispers, "I...give up."


	44. Chapter 44 - Fight x On, x Challenger!

**Chapter 44 - Fight x On, x Challenger!**

Killua's body freezes in mid-air when he hears his dad's words. "You...what?!"

"I said...I give up."

Silence fills up the air up. Even the spectators are too shocked to say anything.

"Why?! Your victory was almost one-hundred percent certain! Why would you give up?!" Killua shatters the silence with a shout.

"Your eyes were full of determination. When I saw them, I knew I wouldn't be able to convince you… So there's no point." Silva says quietly.

"But what about your original goal? You're going to give it up?" Still doubting his ears, Killua continues to question his father.

"Even though I want that Magic Stone, I don't want to hurt my favorite son."

"Tsk." Killua scoffs. "I don't want your pity."

Silva turns around and slowly walks off the stage. "I'm letting you win right now. Come back when you are stronger. If you manage to defeat me, I'll let you do whatever you want and never bother you again. That's a promise."

"Winning like this is meaningless! I don't want to be in your debt! I don't want to owe you anything!" Killua shouts.

"Sure, sure. Then you should get stronger."

" _There an insurmountable amount of skill gap between the two of us. If we actually fight, he can probably take me out in a few moves….Man! Now I know how Gon felt when he was in Hisoka's debt about the number tag."_

Killua's train of thought is broken by the referee's shout. "Silva forfeits the match, Killua is the winner!"

" _Tsk. Even though I won, I feel even worse than losing."_

"Now! Since No major conflict occurred in this match, we shall begin the next match right now."

"Yo kid!" A man steps onto the stage. He has a bald head and wears a black jacket and jeans, and jeans. "That was an excellent display of your Nen back there."

"That was even half of my power." Killua murmurs.

"You have a tough mouth, don't you?" The man says sarcastically.

"Man! I thought this tournament was gonna be hard because I met such a tough opponent in the first round." Killua sighs. "But this is going to be way too easy."

"Huh?! The man yells. "What did you say?!"

"I said that this match is going to be really easy for me!"

"Watch your mouth, you brat!" He takes two daggers out of his pocket and throws them toward Killua with insane speed, one on the right and one of the left.

"Oy!" Killua barely manages to dodge that by leaping into mid-air.. "What was that?!"

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents. I was just hiding my ability, that's all."

"Tsk." Killua scoffs. "Even if that wasn't your actual power, the power you have now isn't much better… Like I said before, I won't be using my assassination techniques now."

The takes two more knives out of his pocket. "Suit yourse….."

But before he is even done talking, Killua is already behind him. With a single chop by his hand onto the man's neck, he collapses onto the ground, motionless."

"It's as simple as that." Killua says easily.

The whole crowd starts to cheer after witnessing such insane speed and damage dealt in a single strike.

"Uh… The winner is Killua! With this victory, he advances onto the semi-finals! Now we'll have our last match of the day! The final quarter-finals match!"

Because Killua doesn't have any more matches for the day, he and Gon decide to go to bed early in their assigned room. Since Killua got into a match right after arriving here, they didn't notice the rooms surrounding outer area of the stage.

The two of them wake up the next morning at the crack of dawn. After buying and eating breakfast, Killua's semi-final match begins.

This fight turns out to be a breeze for Killua. His opponent claims that he is also an assassin. However, needlessly to say, Killua ends up destroying him even without his assassination techniques. One hit from behind is all it takes.

However, Killua's domination in the tournament suddenly comes to a screeching halt when he reaches the finals match. His opponent for this match, to his surprise, is a kid similar to Killua's age. And she's a girl.

"Oy! How am I supposed to fight her?" Killua asks.

"Huh?" What do you mean?" Not understanding Killua's question, the ref asks back.

"I mean, she's a girl, I can't just go on and grab her or anything." Killua's cheeks suddenly flush bright red after hearing how weird his question sounds.

"Why not?" The blue-haired girl standing in front of him asks. She's quite pretty actually. Her white skirt lightly sways as she walks toward Killua.

Distracted by her looks, Killua doesn't react to her approach in time. She mutters something quietly, and before Killua knows it, he loses control of his own body and falls onto the ground.

"W-what?" Not understanding what the heck just happened, Killua barely manages to move his lips to ask this question.

"W-why can't I….move?" Killua tries to regain balance and climb back up, but it's useless. He's commanding his body to move, but they are not responding to Killua's call.

The referee suddenly says. "If Killua doesn't stand back up within ten seconds, he'll lose due to immobilization!"

"One!" The referee begins the final countdown.

"Gah!" Killua gasps."I can't lose here! I'm so close!"

"Two."

Killua slowly manages to turn his head, he sees Gon in the middle of the crowd. However, instead of being disappointed at Killua, Gon's face is covered with smiles. He shoots his friend a thumbs up when he realizes he's looking at him."

"Gon…" Killua mutters. "I'm sorry."

"Three."

The girl walks next to Killua and kneels down. "Don't take it too seriously, okay? You just didn't know my ability, that's all."

"Four."

" _She's right next to me! If I can just get one swing in, that'll significantly weaken her or even knock her out."_

"Five."

Struggling so hard to move, his fingers are starting to twitch slightly. He turns his head slightly to look at Gon again. He bites his teeth bitterly.

"Six."

"This might be the only chance for me to recover his memories…" Killua mutters quietly.

"Seven."

"I don't want…. To lose him forever!"

"Eight."

"That's why….I'll save him! Not just for my sake, but also for him to live a normal life again!"

"Nine!" _-one second left._

The girl is already starting to walk off the stage, thinking that she already won. However, right before the referee can finish the "10" in the countdown, Killua leaps into the air and launches himself toward the girl.

" _Godspeed!...Lightning Palm!"_

Unconsciously, Killua only releases thirty percent of his full power. He doesn't want to kill her. All he wants is to knock her out and win the tournament.

Completely unexpecting Killua's sudden movement, she doesn't even have the time to use Nen to defend herself. As a result, the attack from Killua sends her flying off of the stage. The whole crowd starts to cheer on this brutal strike.

"Oh Shoot! I didn't mean to….!" " _Please tell me she's alright!"_

Killua stares intensely toward the mist of smoke surrounding the area where the girl landed.

"What are you?! Underestimating me?!" To Killua's surprise, she gets up like nothing has happened.

"Oh…" Shocked, Killua gasps.

She puts her two hands together in front of her, and emits a beam of aura from the palm of her hands.

Because Killua is in his godspeed mode, his insane reaction time causes him to duck down under the attack and successfully evade it. "Phew! That was close!"

However, the attack isn't over yet. The aura beam actually travels back and returns to the girl after the initial miss on Killua. Killua thought the offense is already over, so he doesn't react in time and ends up losing his balance due to the hit and falls onto the floor.

"You sure be more careful." The girl laughs.

"Sure, you're clever." Killua mutters as he gets back onto his feet. "But your attacks don't hurt at all."

"Oh really?!" She yells and dashes toward Killua, who just got up from the ground. Instead of dodging, however, Killua transfers aura into his fist and prepares for a counterattack. And in the last second, he triggers the electricity in his hand. Causing the girl to fly backward because of the impact.

To Killua's surprise, however, the girl actually manages to stand back up and walk back onto the stage. "What w-was that?" She asks weakly. "Electricity?"

"That was only a portion of my power by the way." Killua says proudly. "Well, I like you and all, but I have to end this now."

Even though she's already severely hurt, she still gets into a defensive position. However, to her surprise, Killua's next attack doesn't come front the front.

" _Thunderbolt!"_

A beam of lightning beams down from the sky. Because the direction of the attack is unexpected, she doesn't have time to dodge. As a result, this sends her rolling down the stage, unconscious.

"The winner of the tournament is….Killua!" The referee yells and raises his hand.


	45. Chapter 45 - Memories x Buried x In Dust

**Chapter 45 - Memories x Buried x In Dust**

" _I shouldn't have won. My dad would've been able to defeat me in the first round…"_

"Here's your champion certificate, you can show this to the front desk and they'll give you the prize." The referee walks over and hands it over to Killua.

Instead of getting anything flashy, for example, a trophy, all Killua receives is a piece of paper with some writings on it. But to Killua, it doesn't matter. All he cares about is the final prize.

"Gon! Let's go!" Killua yells and hurries over to the front desk. Gon also runs over but stays a few yards behind him.

"Here you go." The lady hands Killua glass box. Inside the container, lies a ruby-colored round stone around the size of a golf ball.

"This is it, Gon. This is it." Killua looks back and shouts anxiously. "Wait...How do we use it?"

"Oh? You don't know?" The lady says. "You have to melt the stone with Nen to liquid and then the person has to ingest the liquid orally. That's all."

"Oh… I was honestly expecting a better way than this...but sure." Killua murmurs. "Can I melt the stone for him?"

"Sure, but he has to be the only one who touches the liquid though."

"And….last question. Hehe. How do I melt it?"

"You just put your hands around the stone and activate your Nen. But you have to control the amount. You can't apply too much power or the stone will shatter instead of liquify."

"Hmm...alright. Thank!" Killua turns around and runs toward Gon. "Can you lie down here for a second?"

"Huh? Oh okay….Why?" Gon asks as he lowers his body onto the ground.

"Don't ask. Just...trust me." Killua carefully takes the Magic Stone out of its case and raises his hand to directly above Gon's body. With the Stone in his hand, Killua starts to apply Nen.

"Is this...how to recover my memories?" Gon asks.

"Yes… T-trust me, Gon." Killua whispers.

"Mmm… of course."

The Magic Stone begins to gradually melt. Warm liquid in the color red start to drip down.

"Gon! Hurry! Open up!" Killua quickly hovers his hand over Gon's mouth.

"Huh? You want me to drink it?"

"Yes! I know it's weird, but just do it!"

Gon opens his mouth. However, after tasting the first drop, he quickly shuts it again.

"Gon!" What are you doing?! One drop isn't enough!" Killua shouts.

"It's really bitter!" Gon's voice is muffled because he's trying to keep his mouth shut.

"Gon please!" Killua kneels down besides Gon and pleads "Just...a few more!"

"It's the most disgusting thing thing you'll ever taste!" Gon argues.

"But if you do this, you'll be able to taste all of the sweet fruit that'll come after this!" As more and more are dripping down onto the floor and going to waste, Killua knows that if Gon doesn't open his mouth soon, they'll run out.

Slowly, and reluctantly, as if sensing how desperate the situation is right now, Gon opens his mouth back up.

"Thanks… Gon." Killua mutters and lets the rest of the droplet into Gon's mouth.

"Well?" Killua asks after he's done. "Do you feel any different?"

"Mmm...No, not re…" Before Gon can finish his sentence, his body emits out a huge shockwave, blasting everyone outward and sending them smashing into the walls.

"Ow!" Killua winces at the pain. "My arm!"

" _No! I can't worry about my broken arm right now. Gon!"_ Ignoring the pain in his broken left arm, Killua runs toward Gon. "What was that blast?! Gon! Are you alright?!"

"Killua…" Gon mutters.

"Yes?"

"Thank you...for believing in me."

"Huh?"

"You didn't give up on me even when I lost my memories, even when I was a completely different person."

"You have to thank yourself, Gon. You are the one who gave me reasons to believe in you."

"So… are your memories back?"

Gon slowly sits up and smiles. "Yes, Killua, I'm back… Everything will be normal again. We'll be together just like the old times! We'll go on more adventures!"

This sentence… these words are the words Killua wanted to hear the most, they are being said to him at the time when he wants to hear them the most, and from the one person he wants most to hear them from….

But deep inside, Killua knows something. Instead of drowning himself in happiness, Killua brings himself back to reality.

"No. I have to take care of something right now." Killua shakes his head reluctantly.

"What is it? Killua." Gon asks soothingly.

"I have to get strong enough to beat my dad. I owe him something, and I want to repay the debt as soon as possible."

"Ah! So you are in a similar state that I was in four years ago with Hisoka!" Gon shouts as he stands up and begins to walk toward the exit. "Sure, if that's what you want to do, then let's do it together!"

"Gon.." Killua mutters the name of his friend again. Then he gives him a determined nod. "Thanks for wanting to do it with me."

"Wait...Killua. You're crying." Gon lifts his hand and wip es the tears off of his friend's face.

"Y-yeah...I'm really happy… And you'll be by my side again in the future."

"I don't care what we do. It'll be fun. Because it's fun to just be with you!"

Slightly blushing, Killua averts his gaze. "Yeah...you never realize how important someone is to you until you lose him."

Gon silently smiles. And puts his arm on Killua's shoulder.

"All I want right now is to be with you forever." Killua says.

And it is true, that's what Killua always wanted, from the bottom of his heart.

Outside, the sun is gradually setting down the horizon. Even though the day is about to end, Gon and Killua's journey isn't.

Tomorrow will be another day, it'll be the beginning of a brand new adventure.

Something else, something new.

Whatever it is, the two friends will overcome it together.


	46. Chapter 46 - The x Nen x Academy

**Chapter 46 - The x Nen x Academy**

"Yo Killua! Have you heard of this school before? It's called Kunlun Academy." Gon hands Killua a brochure about the school.

"Of course! It's one of the best high schools in the Republic of Pandokea. Why are you asking?"

"Well, after you said that you wanted to get stronger yesterday, I thought maybe going to a school would help." Gon explains.

It's morning, Gon and Killua are in a hotel. Discussing what the two of them will do for the future. Gon went downstairs to the lobby and grabbed some pamphlet about famous places around here.

"That would be nice, considering how disastrous our previous school experience ended. I don't know much, but I know that this school not only teaches the school essentials, like Math and language, they also focus a great amount of time into Nen practice as well. Additionally, you can also board there." Killua sits up from his bed and smiles. "It'll be nice if we actually go there."

"Soo...according to this...you actually have to apply first. You'll have to take an exam, and they'll determine who'll pass." Gon mutter as he reads the brochure.

"It shouldn't be that surprising, right? This school is ranked top three in this region...So is there any requirements for our applications? And when is the Entrance Exam?"

"You just have to know a little bit about Nen in order to apply. The Entrance Exam date...let's see…" Gon suddenly jumps out of his bed and shouts. "It's today! April 15th!"

"Actually?! Let's get moving then!"

"So we're going to be applying for the first-year right? Ninth grade."

"Yup! Because the school only goes from ninth to twelfth… Most schools start at nine o'clock. If we hurry, we can still make it!"

After quickly washing up and changing clothes, the two boys rush downstairs and quickly stuff some breakfast down their throats. Then they get into a Taxi and they are on their way to Kunlun Academy.

The drive takes about twenty minutes. They don't really talk much on the ride over. Both of them are enjoying the beautiful city view of massive skyscrapers and a clear, spring sky.

Twenty minutes later, they get out of the Taxi and are not standing in front of a huge building. Above the main door, the words are written in perfect calligraphy:

" _Kunlun Academy"_

The entire academy is almost as big as the Zoldyck Mansion. And this is merely the main campus. There are also many sports fields owned by the school but are off campus.

Gon checks his watch, it's 8:55.

"Ah!" A man yells at them from behind and walks over. "Welcome to Kunlun Academy! Are you two here for the Entrance Exam?"

"Yeah." Killua answers. "We're not late, are we?"

"Nah! You're perfectly fine! Just head over that way!" The man has spiky red hair, it bears a close resemblance to Gon's hair, except the color.

"That's….some nice hairstyle you got there." Gon laughs as they leave for the application area.

"Do you like it?" The man asks.

"Sure!"

After successfully signing up, they got put into group C. They join the rest of the group in the waiting area in an auditorium. The walls of the hall are covered with paintings and sculptures, as if displaying the school's gracefulness and artistic values to the visitors. But there are no available seats left for them. As they look around, they see other kids similar to their age. However, just by detecting their aura, both of them can tell that almost all of them are unbelievably strong. They're on an equal or an even higher footing than Gon and Killua.

" _Even though there is barely any requirement for applying, there isn't any newbies here… Which means only the really advanced students will get accepted… From what I've heard, they're accepting around thirty people for the freshman year. Two classes, fifteen people per class. The acceptance rate is only ten to one...It's going to be hard."_

"We might not have an advantage here. All of them are really strong." Gon mutters.

Killua nods in agreement "I was going to say the same thing."

Suddenly, someone catches Killua's attention. He nudges Gon and says "That...that's the girl I fought in the Magic Stone tournament in the finals!"

"The one that gave you some trouble?" Gon asks.

"Yeah… I didn't expect to see her here." Killua tries to look away so she doesn't notice. But, too late. She is already walking over to them.

"Oy! Why is she coming to us?!" Killua starts to panic. "Does she still want to settle our conflict from yesterday?!"

"Uh...Hi." The blue-haired girl says as she approaches them.

"Oh….Uh...H-Hi!" Killua whispers nervously.

"I just want to say...let's put our rivalry behind us. We might be classmates afterall."

"Uh...y-yeah." Killua wipes off the sweat on his forehead in relief. "That'd be nice."

"I'm Grace." She sticks out a hand and introduces herself.

"Oh… I'm Killua. And he's my friend. His name is Gon."

"Hello." Gon raises his hand and waves at her.

"Are you two applying for your freshman year?" Grace asks.

"Yeah. What about you?"

"Me too."

Suddenly, a person steps onto the podium on in the front of the room and says. "Group A, and B please come with me."

"Oh. That's me." Grace says as she leaves Gon and Killua. "Bye! Hope you pass!"

"Good luck to you too! Bye!" Killua answers automatically.

After she leaves, Killua turns to Gon. "Huh. Why is she so nice all of a sudden. We were trying to kill each other just yesterday."

"Well, it'll be tough if you guys become classmates and still have a grudge against each other, right? So I think that conversation was pretty useful there."

"But…" A smirk appears on Killua's face. "Her voice was soooo smooth!"

"Killua, you're being weird." Gon slaps his friend on the back.

"Hehe." Killua's face blushes bright red.

Another person comes to the front of the room and announces. "Group C and D. Please follow me."

"Woop! We're going!" Killua shouts excitedly. "You ready, Gon?"

"Yeah! Let's do this!"

The boys begin their new journey here, at Kunlun's Academy. Having barely been to school before, they'll, of course, face many difficulties. But how will they overcome them?


	47. Chapter 47 - The x Entrance x Exam(PT1)

**Chapter 47 - The x Entrance x Exam (Part 1)**

The examiner for groups C and D leads the students out of the main hall and into another auditorium. There, tells all fifty of the students in the two groups to sit down as he explains the rules for the entrance exam.

The examiner is a funny looking guy. He is a man in his late thirties, has green hair and a handlebar mustache.

"First things first. Welcome to Kunlun's Academy! Even though all of you know that this is a top-tier, highly competitive school, you still signed up and wanted to face the challenge, I must compliment you for that!"

 _-No response_

"Huh?! C'mon people! You get excited! You're all about to take a really hype practical exam!"

"Great… Enough talking and just get to it." A few students mutter.

"Whatever. My name is Shynen, I'm the dean for the tenth-grade students here. Well, it seems like all of you want to get started. I'll explain the rules and stuff and then take you to the testing facility."

"Wait! You're that famous blacklist hunter, right?!" A student shouts, which sends a wave of murmurs throughout the room.

"Uh...I wouldn't call myself famous, but I am a blacklist hunter." Shynen nods. "Anyway, all of you are about to go through an event, it's basically a survival game. The last person standing wins. It's every person for himself. However, it is okay to team up, but just so you know, you'll end up fighting your teammate if you two are the last ones standing. There can only be one victor."

Gon is just about to ask Killua to team up with him when he hears the latter part of Shynen's explanation. " _So we'll eventually end up fighting each other. It's only a matter of time."_

"No worries, Gon." Killua pats his friend on the back, let's team up for the first part. If we manage to be the last two standing...well, we'll cross the bridge when we get to that."

"Alright!" Shynen yells. "Now that everything is said and done, let's head over to the testing facility! It's here on campus, but there will be a short five minutes walk."

The group begins to file out of the auditorium. Just when they get out of the building, three boys are already zapping toward the facility in front of them with insane speed. They reach their destination before everyone else.

"Look at them." Killua laughs and says to Gon. "They're trying to impress the examiner by showing off their speed."

"I think it's actually a pretty smart move. To get a good first impression in." Gon whispers.

"Nah. The examiner doesn't pay any attention to anything happening before the actual test. They're just wasting their energy."

"Oh...okay."

The group stops when they reach the facility. It's a small forest about the size of twenty football fields. A real, live, forest on the school's campus.

"Woah!" Someone gasps. "How did you guys manage to create such a realistic forest on school grounds?"

"We're not a top school for nothing, right?" Shynen laughs. "Okay! Let's get started! I'll give you guys three minutes of grace period, no fighting is allowed during that time. But after the three minutes ends, you can knock people out and put them out of consciousness, but don't kill them. If you do, you'll get disqualified. The gate will be shut, so there won't be an exit, you'll have to fight your way until the last one standing… There's also a point system. For every person you take out, you receive a point. If you get knocked out yourself, you lose half of your points. If you manage to win, you get fifty points."

"So basically, if you manage to be the last person standing, you win the whole thing. Because the highest number of points the others can get is forty-nine." A girl in the middle of the group speaks up.

" _Ugh...she's clever."_ Killua groans.

"Correct! But that's not all…" Shynen pauses to get a sense of mystery in the atmosphere. Then he says. "Second place gets thirty points, and third place gets ten."

"So it is possible for the second and third place people to get first place overall." Someone else mutters in the group.

"Alright people! This is taking too long! Hurry up and start! You have three minutes to get settled!" Shynen yells and points toward the gate.

The entire group rushes in, each person hoping to get a small advantage by getting in first. Leaving two people, still clueless about what the heck is going on.

"Oy! What are your names?! Why aren't you starting?" Shynen yells.

"I'm Gon!"

"I'm Killua."

"Eh? Why aren't you running in? Other people will have an advantage over you because they can keep an eye on the gate, so they'll know your locations while being undercover."

"True… But all of that won't matter if I simply just win, right?"

Gon slight nudges his friend. "Ohh, watch your mouth, Killua. You're underestimating the people here."

"Whatever. Let's go, Gon." Killua starts to head toward the gate.

"Are you two friends?" Shynen asks.

"Yup!"

Right when they step foot into the forest, Killua increases his level of security.

"We're being watched. From multiple directions." He whispers quietly to his friend next to him.

"Yeah, I feel them too… Who's going to be the first to attack us? With all of these thick trees around us. It will be impossible to notice all of the enemies."

Suddenly, a voice comes out of a loudspeaker next to them: "A person has been knocked out. 49 applicants remain."

"What?! Already? It's been only three minutes!"

"You're about to be next." A voice speaks up behind Gon and Killua. "I see that you two are together."

The speaker is a boy. However, his black hair drags all the way down to his waist.

"Yeah, we are. And if you're smart, you wouldn't try and take a two on one fight." Killua immediately turns around upon hearing the voice.

"Are you sure about that?" He snaps his finger. The next moment, two boys and two girls hop down from the trees surrounding them. They circle around Gon and Killua, getting into an offensive position.

"You seriously have four people with you?!" Gon shouts.

Instead of answering Gon, the long-black haired boy leaps toward him. Because Gon is distracted by everyone around him, he doesn't react in time and ends up being pinned onto the ground.

"Gon!" Killua turns around and reaches for him, but it's too late.

Before Gon even has the chance to resist on the ground, a fist comes flying for his face. Blood gushes out of his nose and mouth as a result of the punch.

"What did you do?!" Killua shouts at the long-haired boy.

"Oops." He scoffs. "I think I put too much force into that punch."

Gon sputters and spits his own blood, trying to regain balance. But the long-haired boy slams Gon's head into the ground.

"Ugh…" Killua winces at this brutal act. "You monster!"

"Heh. Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. You're just used to being the cat. Am I right, Zoldyck?"

" _-hk!"_ Killua takes a step backward in defense. " _Gon's is still not out yet, which means he's still conscious... But probably not for long though."_

"Godspeed!"

When faced against such an immense burst of aura, the long-haired boy takes a few steps back. Which leaves Killua the perfect opportunity. He dashes toward Gon, who is lying on the ground, lifts him up, puts him on his back and carries him.

"Hang on to me, Gon.".

"Mmm...okay. Thanks." Gon mutters quietly, with a blood-covered face.

Even when surrounded, even when he is surrounded, he doesn't leave his friend. He won't. He carries Gon on his back and takes on five people. To Killua, the Gon on his back isn't a burden.

-Gon is Killua's reason to go forward.


	48. Chapter 48-The x Entrance x Exam(PT2)

**Chapter 48 - The x Entrance x Exam (Part 2)**

"Nuh-uh." The long-haired boy says. "Bad idea, buddy. You don't want to fight all of us."

"Try me." Killua answers coldly.

The long-haired boy scoffs. "Timmy, go teach him a lesson." He points at one of his cronies. A rather chubby one.

"Yeah. Sure thing." He answers obediently and walks toward Killua. Suddenly, a crystal sword appears in his right hand.

"A conjurer, huh." Killua mutters to himself. "This should be easy enough….. _But with Gon on my back, it'll be harder to move around and strike."_

Timmy charges at him with his top speed, attacking with his sword from time to time.

"Ha! That swing was way too high!" Killua laughs. " _Wait...he isn't aiming at me… He's aiming at…"_

"Gon!" Killua shouts as he immediately turns his back away from him and quickly glances back at Gon. He sighs in relief when he Gon is unscathed. " _Thank God he alright. But I can't fight like this… My defenses will eventually slack off and Gon'll get hurt."_

"You're pretty fast." Timmy comments. "You were able to dodge that attack in the nick of time."

"Timmy! I told you! Don't underestimate him! He's a Zoldyck!" The long-haired boy yells.

"Wait, you're a Zoldyck?" Timmy repeats his sentence, shocked. "Then it's another reason for why I should capture you. The police are willing to pay a lot of money for your family. Even just a single member."

"Buddy." Killua says calmly. "You know that this is just an entrance exam for the high school, right? You're not supposed to kill me."

"Ha! Are you scared that I'm going to kill you!?" Timmy shouts with a victorious smile on his face as he approaches him.

Killua tries to back away, but when he lifts his leg to do so, a dart suddenly comes from his right and pierces the skin on his right arm.

"W-what?" Killua jerks his body in surprise.

"You have to pay more attention." A girl says from the side. "Once hit with this dart, you'll be out for about three hours. So...you'll be out of the game because of unconsciousness. Tough luck for you. Better luck next year when you apply again!"

"Sorry...Gon." Killua mutters.

The team of five stand right in front of Killua and watches he collapse onto the ground. "What are we gonna do with this kid?"

"Nah, they're both useless. Just ignore him. He'll also be unconscious soon, so we'll get his point." The long-haired boy explains. "Let's go."

Immediately after they turn around, however, " _Godspeed!"_ Killua sprints toward the group and aims for their leader, the long-haired boy. " _Lightning Palm!"_

Caught off guard, he doesn't have time to react and defend himself. As a result, he goes flying off into the distance, crashing into the trees. But before he can even land, Killua zaps behind the long-haired boy's body in mid-air, and punches him again. This time, he goes flying back toward the group.

The loudspeaker makes another announcement. "Another applicant has been knocked out. 35 people remain.

"Be careful of who you call useless!" Killua shouts angrily and turns around to the other four people in the long-haired boy's group. "And you too! Get lost before I do the same thing to you guys too!"

Looking at the terrible condition their leader is in, fear creeps into their body and they all turn around and runs. However, right when they turn around, they see Gon, standing in the middle of the road, blocking their way.

"W-whaaaaat are you doing here?" If this was under normal circumstances, the four would definitely be able to knock Gon aside and continue running. But because they're still afraid of Killua behind them, they hesitate.

"First comes rock…." Gon mutters. "Rock...paper...Rock!"

The incredible amount of aura Gon emits overwhelms, the next thing that happens is

"Four players have been knocked out. 34 remains."

Gon slowly drags his body to Killua, and collapses next to him. "Your face is a mess, Killua."

"Yours isn't much better!" Killua jokes and lends out his hand to catch his falling friend. With his help, Gon slowly climbs back onto Killua's back.

"Can't rest yet, Gon. We need more points." Killua mutters with a bittersweet smile on his face.

 _ **Four months later**_

It's the afternoon of August 15th, with the summer almost in the hindview, the results for the application for Kunluns' Academy is about to come out. During the summer, the two boys celebrated Gon's birthday on May 5th and Killua's on July 7th, which makes both of them 15 years old. They spent most of their summer travelling around and having fun.

Gon and Killua are currently in a hotel in the same city as the academy, waiting for the results of the applications.

"I'm so nervous." Gon whispers as he stares intensely at the computer screen. "My whole body is shaking."

"Of course you're nervous, I'm nervous too." Killua says as he anxiously rubs his hand.

"Oh! It's out!" Gon shouts. "I just have to press the refresh button!"

"Do it then! What are you waiting for?"

"Killua." Gon whispers.

"Yes? What's the problem?"

"Press it with me. We did it together, you carried me through the exam, so we should also get to the end together." Gon looks up at his friend, who is standing next to Gon's chair with a pair of dreamy eyes.

"Yeah...sure." He puts his hand on the mouse and lays his finger on Gon's.

"Three...Two...One!" They shout and press down together.

Lists of names show up.

"We're not in class 1-A…..Not in class 1-B…. Not in 1-C either….Not 1-D…."

Gon whispers with growing anxiety as he gets further and further down the list. Finally, when they get to the second-to-last class.

 _Class 1-F_

 _Ben. W_

 _Owen L._

 _Grace I._

 _Isaac J._

 _Killua Z._

 _Michael K._

 _Victoria H._

 _Hasagi R._

 _Cam L._

 _Candy N._

 _Gon F._

 _Nelson W._

 _Nehal R._

 _Amity C._

 _Catherine P._

 _These names in this list are not in any particular order._

"Yessssss!" Gon yells. "We're both in! And in the same class!"

Killua also leaps into the air and high fives his friend. "School starts tomorrow, since we're boarding in the school, let's hurry up!"

The two friends will spend the next phase of their life in Kunlun's Academy. Will they make new friends with their classmates? What will they encounter next?

"Pactum Serva!"


	49. Chapter 49 - Introductions x And x Class

**Chapter 49 - Introductions x And x Classmates**

August 16th, today is the first day of school for Gon and Killua. As they walk in the school corridors, they are greeted warmly by their fellow classmates, possibly future friends.

All of the freshman's academic classrooms are all arranged into one building. On the first floor, there are three classrooms. !-A, 1-B, and 1-C. On the second floor, there are 1-D and 1-E. On the third floor, there are 1-F, and 1-G. Lastly, on the fourth floor, which is the highest floor, there are rooms for music studies.

"Is this our homeroom?" Gon peeks his head into a classroom door. Inside, students are having a riot and arguing with each other about where each student is sitting. Tables and chairs are getting shoved and turned over.

"Nope, Gon. This is 1-D." Killuawhispers.

"How do you know?" Gon turns around and asks.

"The sign is right above you, you dummy!" Killua lightly slaps Gon in the back. "Our room is on the third floor."

"Oops...hehe. So it's on the floor above this. Let's go then."

"How do you have so much energy?" Killua asks as they sprint up the stairs . "We had to wake up at seven this morning and get all the way to school."

"But it'll be okay once we get settled. Since we're boarding, our dormitory will be very close to the school buildings."

"True…" Killua mutters. "Well, here's our homeroom." Killua pauses right in front of the door. "You ready, Gon?"

"Yup!"

Killua pushes the door open. However, right in front of his face, a girl flies across the room and right into him.

"Grace!" Killua yells as he catches her with his arms, embarrassed. "What are you doing?!"

"He….he punched me really hard and sent me flying across the room." She points to a really tall boy in the room and starts to complain.

After helping Grace get back onto her feet, Killua approaches the boy Grace pointed at and yells. "Why did you do that?"

"Aww, look at that, your boyfriend is standing up for you." The boy ignores Killua and teases Grace.

"Uh….no…..w-we're n-not….." Suddenly embarrassed, both Grace and Killua's faces blush red.

As the commotion caused by Killua is taking place, Gon silently sneaks behind the boy without anyone noticing. And…pushes him toward Killua, who immediately places his knife-sharp nails next to the boy's neck.

"I'd be careful if I were you." Despite the height difference, Killua makes him kneel onto the floor whispers quietly into his ears. "But just so you know, I don't care about what you do. Just don't get in my way."

"W-who….are you?" Still covered in sweat and fear, the boy manages to squeeze this question out of his mouth.

""Who am I?" Killua mutters the question out loud. "Someone who will always be better than you."

The door to the room opens. A tall, slender woman with green hair walks in. "Good mooooooorning students! I am going to be your homeroom teacher for your freshman year! You can call me !"

"Everyone find a seat and sit down!" A student yells at the back of the room.

"Ugh… the classic leader type…" Gon mutters as he plops himself down into a seat to the left of Killua.

There are a total of sixteen seats in the room. Four rows with four seats per row.

"Alright, this isn't so bad." Killua says as he looks out the window next to him. "Got a nice view of the football field and the schoolyard."

"I hoooope you like where you are currently sitting, because theeeeese will be your permanent seeeeaats."

" _I can never get used to the way she talks…"_ All of the kids in the class are thinking the exact same thing.

"Now!" Yasashisa yells. "Let's begin introductions! The rows are coooounted in Numbers, while the cooooolumns are in letters. Let's start with seeeeeaaat A-1. Saaaay your name and where yooooou are from. Also feel freeeee to add a thing or twoooo about yourself if yooooou want."

" _How can a woman in her thirties have more energy than us teenagers…."_ The rest of the class are still thinking the same thing.

"Uh…" A black-haired boy sitting in seat A-1 speaks up timidly. "I'm Owen…. I'm from Pandokea here...I guess you can call me a n-nerd...I'm really into computer science."

A few girls giggles after hearing Owen's introduction. But immediately falls silent upon receiving Yasashisa's gaze.

"I'm Victoria. I'm also from this part of the republic...I like to doodle...so yeah." The silver-haired girl in seat A-2 speaks up.

"I'm Cam...I'm from Yorknew...Don't really have any hobbies…" A boy with blond hair mutters quietly, without even looking up.

The next person to speak is Catherine. Followed by the boy sitting in B-1, Isaac. For everyone's brief introductions, most of the classmates just giggled for a little bit and things proceed rather smoothly. However, after Grace's introductions, when it gets to the boy in seat D-3, everything comes to a screeching halt.

"I'm Killua. Also from the Republic of Pandokea." He says without paying much attention.

"W-wait!" The tall boy who fought Killua shouts. "Zoldyck?"

The entire class falls silent. No sound of giggles, no sound of talking, just…..dead quiet.

Killua shatters the silent with a grin. "You bet."

From this day forth, Killua will regret making that statement. But no matter what,

"Pactum Serva"

-Always have faith.


	50. Chapter 50 - A x Strict x School

**Chapter 50 - A x Strict x School**

"We have so many classes everyday!" Students in the class groan as they look at their daily schedule. "Seven classes a day! Man! This is going to be hard."

"As expected from the best Nen School in the region!" The boy who yelled at everyone to sit down earlier, Nelson, shouts from the back of the room again.

"Teacher's pet." Killua mutters.

"I thought we would be able to choose our own classes." Gon comments from the side. "But I guess everyone in the homeroom has the exact same schedules."

"Yeah, me too. But that means we'll get to know each other better, right?" Grace, who is sitting in front of Killua suddenly pipes in.

"Uh….y-yeah." Suddenly surprised and embarrassed, Killua stutters his words.

"Let's see…" Gon says quietly as he looks down the schedule. "Today is Monday...so our first class would be... Oh...it's a Nen class!"

"I wonder what it'll be like…And who'll be the teacher…?"

"Ahaaaaa!" yells. "I'm gooooing to be your Nen class teeeeeacher!"

"Was she listening to our conversation the whole time or is this just perfect timing?" Killua mutters.

"Nowwwwww…. Get your backpacks off of yoooour desks and get reeeeady for class!"

"Should we put our backpacks into our lockers outside of the classroom?" Nelson stands up and asks politely.

"Two thiiiings, young man. Number one, alwaaaaays raise your hand befoooore asking a question. And to answer your question, nooooo, just put them on the flooooor."

"My apologies for my rude demeanor!" Nelson slightly bows before sitting back down.

"This Is the Nen cooourse for freshmen, students with different Nen tyyypes will train together. The goaaaallll of this is to improve the basics, Ten and Ren. However, when yoouuuuuu get to next year, students with different Nen categories will train with theeeeiir own group."

She pauses for a second, quietly waiting for any incoming questions. Once she sees nobody has any, she continues.

"I assuuuume all of you are quite familiar with Nen… First! Let's have a competition! All of you, show me your current Ren!"

"Already?" Students begin to murmur quietly, some questioning her teaching.

"Be warned! I will rank each of your from the woooorst to best, and grade you accoooordingly."

"So we're already competing against each other, huh?" Killua asks himself. "We're not fellow classmates, we're opponents against each other."

Gon, on the other hand, is still clueless about what's going on and is innocently waving and chatting with the classmates.

"Alriiiight, we're going outside to test your Nen. Everyone follow meeeee." says as he stands up from her desk in the front of the room. "But I gotta say, you students look really organized in your uniforms."

"They're sooo uncomfortable!" Someone start to complain.

On the way over to the field, Killua doesn't say a single word. He walks alone by himself at the back of the group. Eventually, Gon stops his banter with his peers as he notices his friend's loneliness and goes to checks on him.

"Killua? What's wrong?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He replies half sadly, half angrily.. "Didn't you see everyone's reactions when I introduced myself? Whenever I try to talk to someone, they all walk away. I'm I really someone not even worth talking to?"

"No, Killua, you're not… It's not your fault, the other just haven't seen the real you yet." Gon's soothing reply brings his friend back to reality. "So in this test, show them who you truly are."

"Yeah...that'll be nice…But that'll just prove my strength. People don't befriend someone just because of they're strong."

"Besides that, also be nice to the classmates. It might take a long time, but they will realize your character. They will realize that not all Zoldycks are cold-blooded assassins."

"Gon…"

"It won't be easy. People will want to gang up on you, tease you, and try to provoke you...If they do, I know it's hard, but don't pay attention to any of them."

"Gon..."Killua mutters again.

"When you're about to give up, think about your origin, where you came from. How hard you strived to become friends with me, way back when. How hard you aimed for your dream, to never become a murderer. How much you value trust, between you and me."

Gon's words, like stitches, are slowly mending Killua's broken heart.

"I'm...s-sorry, Gon. I'm sorry that you have to deal with me. It's a tough school, the courses are hard enough on its own. But you still have to comfort me." Killua wipes a few tears off his face and whispers lightly.

"Killua, you don't have to say sorry. You've done so much for me, it's the least I can do to repay you. But, please remember this, hearing one "Thank you" is wayyyy better than hearing one hundred "Sorry"."

"Huh? Oh…" Killua softly nods his head.

"Alright, let's catch up with the rest of the group. We're here!" Gon chirps.

"You guys did well in your first Nen test. Here are the results." turns on the projector in the homeroom.

 _Isaac - Enhancement_

 _Killua - Transmutation_

 _Victoria - Emission_

 _Grace - Specialization_

 _Nelson - Enhancement_

 _Candy - Conjuration_

 _Gon - Enhancement_

 _Ben - Transmutation_

 _Catherine - Emission_

 _Michael - Conjuration_

 _Hasagi - Enhancement_

 _Cam - Emission_

 _Nehal - Conjuration_

 _Amity - Enhancement_

 _Owen - Emission_

After seeing this list of people, both smiles and frowns appear on the students' faces.

"Really? I did that well?!" or "Come on! How did I do that bad?!"

"Oy! How did that damn assassin do so well?!" The tall boy, Nehal, shouts."Ya know, he probably threatened to kill the teacher if she doesn't give him a good grade." A lot of the other students are thinking the exact same thing. They thought they'd be able to wipe the floor with Killua.

But Killua doesn't even hear Nehal's shout. He doesn't hear anything that's being said in the room. His vision is focused entirely and intensely on one person, a dark-skinned boy, sitting in the front of the room.

"Mark my word, Isaac," Killua whispers with firm determination. "One day, I'll surpass you!"


	51. Chapter 51-An x Overwhelming x Challenge

**Chapter 51 - Many x Overwhelming x Challenges**

"Okaaaaaaay, kids! That's it for the first class! Now the secooooond class of the day, Math, will begiiiiiiiin!" yells.

"You're the math teacher too?" A short kid with brown hair, Ben, yells from the middle of the room.

"Offfff course! I'm going to be the teacher for all of your classes! The only exception is spooooorts and music!" She gives the students a reassuring smile. "Alright! Your math booooooks are in your desks. Get it oooooout and we'll start on the first section of the first chaaaaaaapter."

"Killua!" Gon whispers to his right. "We haven't even done math yet! We're going to fail this!"

"What's one plus one?" Killua asks quietly.

"Huh?"

"What's the answer?" Killua asks again.

"It's one!"

"You're good!" Killua shoots him a thumbs up.

'What are you saying?" Gon scratches the back of his head in confusion.

"You know how to do one plus one. So you know how to do math. Stupid."

"But one plus one is…" Before Gon can finish his sentence, he is interrupted by .

"Killua and Gon! Please don't have side chaaaaaatter in class, it's rude."

"Sorry…" The two apologies simultaneously.

"Good." nods in approval and turns around to face the whiteboard. "As I was saying, we'll start on sooooooome basic operations with numbers. And as the school year proceeeeeeeeds, the course will get harder and harder. I'm handing out a wooooooorksheet. Just try it out for twenty minutes."

" _Phew!"_ Gon and Killua sigh in relief. "So we'll start with some really simple stuff."

But after receiving the worksheet and taking a look at it,

"What?! How are you supposed to do these?! I thought we are starting with the basics!" Gon shouts.

"Uh..this is the basics." Grace speaks up in front of the Killua.

"What do you mean?!" Gon shouts. "How are you supposed to solve 104 multiplied by 97?!"

"Have you been to school before?"Grace sighs after hearing their conversation.

"Uh...no… I haven't." Gon droops his head down, depressed.

"Neither have I." Killua murmurs as well.

"We'll talk more after class. will yell at us again if she finds us talking when we're not supposed to." Killua whispers and goes back to work.

"Is there aaaaaanyone who doesn't know how to do these problems? Feel freeeeeee to ask me questions." says .

Gon timidly raises his hand, embarrassed that he doesn't even know how to do these simple problems.

"Huh?! Is this a joke?! You don't know how to do these problems?! Idiot!" Nehal shouts from the other side of the room.

"Nehal! That is a very rude coooooomment! Things like that will not be tolerated in here!" yells as she walks over to Gon. Then, her attitude changes from angry to caring, and calmly asks Gon "Yes? What do you neeeeeeed help with?"

"Uh...basically everything." Gon murmurs lightly.

"Oh...I thought you have some minooooor question...I can't help you with this right now... Plus, it's going to take way longer than a day for you to catch up. Wheeeeen you get back to your dorm this afternoon, tell your dooooorm monitor to help with your math homework everyday. I'm sure he'll be glad to heeeeeelp you."

"Uh...what's the dorm monitor?"

"You really are clueless…" sighs. "There's a seniooooor assigned to every dorm unit. He's there to aaaaaaanswer your questions about stuff." She looks up toward the clock hanging on the wall in the back of the room. "Alright, It's 9 o'clock. The first periooooood is over! The homework is posted online. You can access it with your computers."

"Wait!" Gon shouts. "We have computers?"

"They're in the drawer under your desks. The school is prooooooviding you those so they're free. However, if you breeeeeak them, then you'll to pay for the second one. By the way, these are reeeeeeeally expensive."

As everyone is chatting and making a fuss in the front of the room, Nelson politely raises his hand and patiently waits.

"Yes, Nelson?" After a few minutes, finally sees Nelson and asks.

"I believe we should leave for our second class. We're running a little late."

"Aha!" She yells. "Your next class is Laaaaaanguage! I'm also your teacher for Language class!"

"My apologies!" Nelson sits back down after a polite bow.

" _Ugh! He's so weird!"_

The rest of the school day goes by rather quickly. Gon and Killua struggle in every subject they have. Language, History, Math, and Physics. The only class they are able to excel at is Nen. During lunch, the two friends sat by themselves at the corner of the cafeteria.

Killua thought nobody would even come near them because of his hideous family background. And he also thinks he is ruining Gon's social life by being with him. To his surprise, however, Grace came over during lunch and softens the tension in Killua's mind.

There are no sports today because Mondays are short days for freshmen. Additionally, the two have a free block in the afternoon with no classes. As a result, they decide to check out their dorm, which is located at the other end of the school campus.

Kunlun Academy is also known for having a really nice campus. Once in a while, Gon and Killua will see a few water fountains along the little path in the woods. Even though the leaves of the trees are really thick, some sunlight is able to pierce through and shine on the two boys. Finally, after walking for ten minutes, they finally arrive in front of their dorm. The outside of the building is made out of concrete.

"Wow!" Gon gasps. "This is huge!"

"Yeah. I gotta admit, it's way better than I thought."

The sight of the interior of the dorm stuns them even more. There aren't any chandeliers or anything, but for a dormitory for a school, this is more than enough.

"Ah! Gon and Killua, right?" The lady sitting behind the front desk asks as she flips through a notebook

"Yup! That's us!"

"You're going to be on the third floor. Room 305." She hands them three keys. "One for each of you, and one extra, just in case you lose one. If you do, just come here and we'll get one another one."

"Alright, thanks!"

"The rules for the dormitory can be found on the school website, so make sure you go through them. But I'll tell you some essentials anyway: This dorm building is specifically for your class, class 1-F. This building consists of three parts. The right wing, the left wing, and the middle section. The dorm rooms for the boys are in the right wing, while the rooms for the girls are in the left wing. The middle section is a common area. You can hang out in that area after you finish your homework and watch a movie together or something. This building has a total of five floors. This first floor has no dorm rooms. But you can come down here and do your homework if you want to be alone from your roommate. But please to be quiet while here."

" _Ah! So much information! My brain is going to fry again!"_

"The dorm monitor for the boys is a senior student named Isaiah Jones. If you have any questions regarding your homework, he'll always be doing his homework here on the first floor, so you can always find him here."

"Isaiah Jones…" Killua whispers the name quietly under his breath. "Jones… Isn't that also Isaac's last name?

"The Isaac from out class? The one who got first place in the Nen exam?" Gon asks.

"Yeah, him."

"Oh!" The front-desk lady suddenly speaks up. "Isaac is Isaiah's younger brother."

"Ah! Okay!" Gon and Killua nod together and begin to leave. "Thank you!"

As they walk over to the stairs, whenever other students see them, they all get out of their way. Quietly murmuring, "It's that damn Zoldyck kid. You don't want to be around him."

They think Killua can't hear their whispers. But they're wrong. Every single word of theirs is making a scratch in Killua's heart. He pretends to be unaffected, he pretends to smile, and he pretends to laugh. Waving it off like it's nothing.

But one day… One day...He'll eventually reach his limit. One day...Everything will change.


	52. Chapter 52 - A x New x Support

**Chapter 52 - A x New x Support**

"Hello?" Someone knocks on their door.

"Yes? Come in." Kíllua gives Gon a look and answers.

"I'm Isaiah, the dorm monitor. You signed up for some homework help, didn't you?" A chocolate-skin colored senior pushes the door open and enters.

"Uh… yeah. Lemme find you a place to sit…Ugh… sorry, our room is really cramped." Gon groans. "We just finished unpacking…Here, you can sit in my place, I'll just do my work on my top bunk."

"Nah, you just stay there, I'm fine with just standing… This room is pretty small compared to the others. There are only two desks and two chairs, with no other furniture…So… what do you need help with?"

"Ah. Sure. So… We have never been to school before… so we have no clue on any of the stuff being taught in class." Gon explains.

"Ehh…Before we get to all of that, what are your names?"

"Oh right! Introduction! I'm Gon Freecss!" Gon stands up and gives Isaiah a handshake.

"I'm Killua Zoldyck."

"Zoldyck…" Isaiah whispers the name under his breath. "As in the famous family of assassins?"

"Ugh.." Killua groans. "Yeah."

Killua thinks that Isaiah will reject him after hearing he's a Zoldyck. However, Isaiah's response completely surprises him.

"That's soooo cool, dude!" Isaiah yells. "What's it like!?"

"Uh… what?" Shocked, Kíllua is at a lost for words.

"How do you like being an assassin?" Isaiah asks again.

"Well, I'm not an assassin anymore. I used to be one, but when I met Gon...let's see… four or five years ago, we started to travel around the world and I stopped murdering people."

"Five years ago!?" Isaiah yells again. "Are you two brothers?!"

"Nah… we're just friends."

"I see…" Isaiah nods. "By the way, how's my younger brother doing in class!"

"You mean Isaac?" Gon asks.

"Yeah. Is he a good student?"

"He's actually a really good student. He's ranked number one in the first Nen exam." Killua says."I ranked second by the way."

"Ah! I'm glad to hear that! Can you open the window? It's getting pretty hot in here."

"Yeah...which one? There's two."

"How about both?" Isaiah laughs.

"Okay." Gon reaches out to open the window directly in front of his desk as Killua does the exact same thing for the window in front of him.

The cool evening air rushes into the room. Outside the windows, a bright full moon hangs in the sky. They can see a few classmates playing around outside the building under the shimmering moonlight.

"There we go! Much better." Isaiah says as he yawns. "So... back to the original topic. What do you need help with?"

"Let's...start with Math today...We might need your help everyday after school. We're really far behind everyone else."

"Good…" Isaiah mutters.

"What's good?"

"Unlike most of the other kids, you actually want to improve and get better. That's pretty rare."

"Really?" Gon exclaims. "Hehe...thanks."

"Yeah. I'm happy to help those who want to improve."

Isaiah walks over to Gon's table. Killua picks up his chair and joins them as well.

"Ahh...so for these problems...you have to do this…"

After spending some time with this senior, Isaiah, Gon and Killua notice his friendly and caring character. He explains every single one of the problem step by step. When facing against the two boys' barrage of questions on the new concept, Isaiah didn't get frustrated and annoyed at all. In fact, he's more than happy to clarify it with them.

The two boys, however, still don't realize how lucky they are to have found someone who wants to help them, in this unknown, foreign school.

"Bye Isaiah! Thanks so much for your help!" Gon yells as he sends Isaiah out of their room.

"Yeah! No problem! I really enjoyed working with you!" He replies back in return.

After closing the door, Gon jumps onto his top-bunk and yawns. "Man! How long was he here for?"

"I don't know... Time flies when you are enjoying things. Probably somewhere around three hours."

"Wow… That's pretty long...His jokes are really funny!" Gon says. A smile starts to emerge on his face even just by thinking about it.

"It's already ten o'clock. I think I'm going to sleep now. What about you?" Gon lowers his head to Killua's lower bunk and asks.

"Me too. Since we finished all of our homework with Isaiah, we don't really have anything else to do."

"Alright.. I'm hitting the light. Good night, buddy." Gon climbs out of his bed and heads for the light.

"Wait! You're not going to shower? You're not going to change into your pajamas?" Killua interrupts him.

"Oh...Oops… I forgot."

"Jeez!" Killua yells as he looks around the room. "Wait...there's a bathroom in our room...but where's the shower?"

"Oh! I remember!" There's a shower room at the end of the hallway." Gon says.

"So all of this floor share one shower room?" Killua asks is disbelief.

"Y-yeah…"

"Fine...I guess there's no point in complaining."

After gathering their towels and their nightgowns, the two boys open their door and head for the showers on the right.

To their surprise, the showers are actually empty, Gon and Killua are the only two using it at the moment. However, right when Killua turns off the water, steps out, and puts on his clothes, three kids enter. Every one of them is taller than Killua.

" _Ughh...great, what do they want?"_ Killua groans sarcastically.

"Yo Zoldyck!" One of the three yells at him from a distance.

"What do you want, Nehal?" Killua answers calmly.

"So...you know how you made a fool of me this morning before class started?"

"Ugh...And let me guess...You're here to get revenge."

"Bingo!" Nehal yells.

"And you brought two of your buddies with you because you're scared by yourself." Gon says as he walks out of the stall next to Killua's.

"Gon, you should leave. They're here for me, not you." Killua gestures to his friend on the side.

"When have I ever left you when you're in trouble, Killua?" Gon asks kindly.

Killua doesn't answer Gon's question. But in his heart, he knows the answer very well.

" _Ugh!... I can't use my electricity because my hands are wet from the shower!"_

"See, Zoldyck. We had everything planned out. We knew about your Nen. And we know that water can be a huge problem for you." Nehal laughs triumphantly as he approaches Killua.

Gon tries to protect his friend from them. But the two other kids immediately pins Gon onto the floor.

Suddenly, a knife appears in Nehal's hand.

"Conjuration." Killua murmurs under his breath.

"That's right." Nehal smiles maniacally. "And this is a poison knife. It's not lethal, but it'll paralyze you for a couple of days. You'll miss tomorrow's class for sure."

"You sadistic… piece of trash." Killua groans.

"Better watch your mouth." Nehal leaps toward Killua while swinging the knife in his right hand.

The two are able to exchange a few fists in the beginning, but Killua is gradually falling behind as he falls onto the wet floor because of the weapon advantage.

"Boys!" Someone yells from the door. "That's enough!"

"Who are you?!" Nahal screams as he turns around to look at the surprise speaker.

"Isaiah!" Gon shouts from the floor.

"I'm the dorm monitor. If you didn't already know." Isaiah introduces himself. "Students fighting among themselves are not allowed. So...Since I'm in a nice mood today because I just had a lovely study session with Gon and Killua, I'm going to let this one slide. I'm not going to report this to the teachers. But let this be a warning."

"Tsk." Nehal whispers as he turns around and leaves with his gang. "This is over, Zoldyck."

"Are you two alright?" Isaiah walks over to Gon and Killua, both still lying on the floor.

"Y-yeah... Thanks."

"No problem! I knew you'd get in trouble because of the prejudice of your family name. Here, I brought some dry clothes for you two. Change up."

Killua slowly takes the clothes from Isaiah's hand. Gon stands up and walks over.

"Don't worry, they're clean." Isaiah gives them a reassuring smile.

"It's not about that... " Killua mutters. "Why are you...helping us this much? Especially for me..."

"You just don't get it, do you? I see great things… from you. When I look into your eyes, I don't see the eyes of an assassin. I see someone who wants to keep their friend safe when they're in danger. And when I look at you, Gon, I see someone who is able to risk his life in order to save his friend."

"Y-yeah…" The two whispers together.

"I got all of that information just by viewing your fight with that Nehal kid five minutes ago. I could tell that both of you are really special."

"W-wow, thank you."

"No worries! When you two have any problems, make sure to ask me. Just think of me like a big brother!"

Gon and Killua are just idly standing there, too dumbfounded to say anything.

"Anyway! It's getting late. Make sure to go to bed when you get back to your room. Lights out at eleven. You have thirty minutes left." Isaiah says as he heads out of the showers and waves them goodbye.

That night, even though they're in a new place, even though the beds are nowhere near comfortable, the two friends sleep with perfect content.

They can not only lean on each other as a pillar for support, but they also found another person they can rely on in this new place.

Even though both of them are really tired after a full day of learning, even though there are still a lot of things they haven't learned yet, Gon and Killua fall asleep with huge smiles on their faces.


	53. Chapter 53 - Way x Back x When

**Chapter 53 - Way x Back x When**

"Gon!" Killua yells as he shakes him awake. "Wake up, it's seven in the morning already!"

"Huh…?" Gon slowly opens his eyes and mutters, still half asleep. "Wasn't the school supposed to sound our alarms?"

"Yeah...But I don't know, it didn't go off… Anyway, get up and put on your uniform!"

"Ugh...stupid uniforms…They're sooo uncomfortable!" Gon yells as he hops down from his top bunk.

After quickly changing and washing up, the two boys head on campus to the cafeteria in the main building. Once they enter, they're starting to see some familiar faces sitting around tables for breakfast.

"Good morning." They exchange a few greetings with some of their classmates.

Because it's early morning, there are a lot of open tables and seats. Gon and Killua plop down by themselves in the corner of the cafeteria.

A few moments later, Grace walks into the room and joins the two boys.

"Good morning!" She says with a pleasant smile on her face.

"A-Ah!" Killua turns away to hide his blush. "M-morning!"

"Hehe.." Grace giggles. "How was your night?"

Knowing Killua isn't going to be any help on answering questions in his state, Gon answers for Killua. "We got into a little bit of a fight with Nehal...but our dorm monitor, Isaiah, saved us from getting into trouble."

"Oh… Well, I'm glad you two are okay." Grace says as she bites into her pancake.

"What did you do, Grace? Anything fun?" Gon asks.

"Oh yeah! I was taking a stroll on the school campus! The moon was so pretty! We can go there together tonight! I'll show you two around!"

" _Ahhhh! This is perfect! Hehe…"_ Killua thinks to himself. And uncontrollably, a smile appears on his face.

"Um...Killua? What's so funny?" Grace asks.

"O-Oh!" Killua jumps out of his chair in surprise. " N-nothing!"

Grace slightly pouts in response to Killua's sudden movement. "Anyway," She says, changing the subject. "Class is starting soon, let's head over to our academic building."

"Goooooood morning!" yells as she enters the classroom.

"Good morning." A few students respond.

"Tooooday, you're going to be introooduced to an event."

"Ah!" Nelson murmurs in the back of the room. "Already an event on the second day of school! As expected from the best Nen school!"

ignores Nelson's comment and continues to talk. "As you know, all of you are Pro-Hunters… Sooooo… for this event, which is going to happen in two days, you are going to the Hunter's Exam testing facility for the year you passed the Exam, and to do some observations on the participants. Additionally, you'll play a secret role in the Exam."

"Fun!" The entire class shouts in joy.

At first, Killua is also pretty happy that they'll get to go on a field trip together, but then he realizes: " _I passed the exam a year after Gon did! So we're not going to be together!"_

"Gon." Killua lightly taps him on the shoulder and says.

"Yes?"

" _Wait… It's not Gon's fault that I didn't pass the same exam he did. It's my own fault. I can't drag him into the mess I made. I have to deal with it myself."_

"Killua? What's wrong?" Gon asks.

"It's...nothing." Killua sighs deeply.

This class passes rather quickly for Killua because all he can think about is the Hunter's Exam. When the bell rings and the class ends, Killua runs up to and asks desperately: "Do I have to go to the..."

However, before Killua can finish, interrupts him as she hurries away.

"I'm sorry, Killua. I have to take care of something right now. I'll meet you tonight at five o'clock, right in front of your dorm building. We can talk then."

"Oh…Okay." Able to sense the urgency in her voice, Killua lets it slide.

Killua sulks through the rest of the school day, following Gon around, not saying a single word.

During lunch, when Grace walks over to join them, she also notices Killua's bad mood. However, when she quietly asks Gon what's wrong, all he can say was an "I don't know."

Killua decides to skip his first sports practice today and goes back to their dorm instead. His mind is still obsessed with the Hunter's Exam Site issue. For Gon, who doesn't want to leave his depressed friend by himself, also skips sport, which for today, is his favorite game of Dodgeball.

When the clock hits four in the afternoon, Killua can no longer resist the urge. He hurries outside of his room, telling Gon that he has to "meet someone." When he gets downstairs to the main lobby, he peeks outside, hoping to find arriving early. But all he can see is an empty front yard.

Finally, after fifty minutes of nervous pacing, finally arrives in front of the building. Killua rushes outside to greet her.

"Oh! Killua! So you've been waiting." She says.

"Uh...yeah…"

"So what's your question?"

"D...Do I have to go the same Exam Site for the year that I passed?" Killua asks timidly and quickly.

"Why are you asking?"

"It's b-because...I want to...b-be…" Because of the anxiety and nervousness, Killua stutters his entire sentence. After taking a deep breath, he says. "I want to be with my friend."

"He's Gon, right?" asks kindly.

"Y-yeah."

"Well, it certainly is possible to make you as an exception because most of the students passed the exam in the same year as you or a couple of years after you. So there are barely any kids who passed in the same year as Gon...but," Before she can finish, Killua erupts with happiness.

"Yes! It's possible!" He yells.

"But...You'll get a chance to make new friends if you don't switch, right? You don't have to stay with Gon the whole time."

"I-It's different." Killua murmurs. "That's not it. I just...can't put it into words."

"Then… Why do you want to go to the 287th Exam site, and not the 288th?" asks again.

Suddenly, Killua hears footsteps coming from behind him. He turns around and hears a really familiar voice.

"Killua! There you are...and too!" Gon shouts happily.

Perhaps it's because Gon is here now, next to him. Or perhaps it's because of something else, Killua finally and suddenly realizes the true reason for why he wants to join Gon in this event.

This time, Killua turns to look at with a pair of determined eyes, with a few drops of tears flowing out of them. He says,

"Because...It's where we started our journey. Gon and I, together."


	54. Chapter 54 - Event x And x Friend

**Chapter 54 - Event x And x Friend**

 _ **Two days later**_

"Alright, kids! Welcome to to the 287th Hunter's Exam site!" A young man with glasses and black hair yells as the group of five people enters the waiting room, the big room just before the "marathon" running begins.

"What are your names again?" He asks. "I'm Joe."

"I'm Gon!"

"I'm Ben."

"My name is Killua."

"And I'm Grace."

The four classmates introduce themselves. Immediately following, the announcer comes in, and the race begins.

"Huh… It's not Satotz anymore." Gon murmurs quietly.

Joe ignores Gon comment and continues the explanation. "Your school paid me to help you four through this event… Well, this isn't really anything else to say… The only rule is… You four kids have to split up!"

"Huh?" Killua asks. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you four have to work alone. Each of you is going to help one applicant. And you can't work together. If I catch you working with any of your other three classmates here, I'll report this to this school. Then you'll be disqualified from participating in any other events this school year because of disobeying the rules."

"But…" Ben starts to complain, but Joe cuts him off.

"Do I make myself clear?!" Joe shouts.

"Y-yes… Sir!"

"Alright, now go! The race has already begun!"

The group scatters, before parting from each other, Gon says to Killua, "Looks like we have to separate for a little bit here. Good luck, Killua!"

"Same to you, Gon!" Killua shouts back.

The two friend separates, heading in different directions.

Neither of them is aware of the fact that this separation will forever change their lives.

"Yo. How old are you?" Killua runs up to a little girl with brown hair, who is in the midst of everyone else running in the first phase of the exam, but starting to fall behind.

"I'm eleven." She answers.

"Oh…! I passed the exam when I was thirteen. You're even younger!" Killua exclaims. "What's your name?"

"Tori." She answers.

"Ah...I'm Killua. Nice to meet you! I'm here because my school organized an event. I'm supposed to be helping the applicants."

Tori extends her hand for a handshake, but accidentally trips over when she isn't paying attention.

"Ouch!" She yells. The stone on the ground scrapes her knees.

Killua immediately slows down and helps her back up and hands her a cookie. "Here, eat this. It'll help you get some energy back."

Tori reluctantly takes it and carefully examines it.

"Don't worry, it's safe." Killua reassures her.

She then devours the cookie in one gulp. "Ah...it tastes really good...Thanks!...Sorry for doubting you."

"Don't worry about it. The regeneration effect will happen after ten minutes or so."

"Why are you helping me out of all people? You could be helping someone who is way more physically capable than me."

"I'll tell you the reason, but keep it a secret for me, okay?" Killua asks kindly.

"I'm not a good secret-keeper…" Tori whispers, but closes her mouth when she sees Killua's determined eyes.

"I trust you." Says Killua.

Then, without any complaints from Tori, Killua begins, "When I was younger, like even younger than your age, I never got to enjoy my childhood… I was born in an assassin's family, and I was raised to be an assassin."

"The Zoldycks?" Tori asks.

"Yeah, that's me."

To his surprise, Tori makes no reaction at all. Only nodding to gesture Killua to continue.

"All I learned about was how to kill, I've had many opportunities where I could've saved or helped someone, but I intentionally didn't take them. Therefore, my childhood was not fun, it was drenched with blood… I have four siblings, but I never got along with them. But you...you remind me of my little sister, her name is Alluka. I promised that I'll take care of her for the rest of her life, but I was never able to fulfill that promise… I guess...what I'm doing right now...is me trying to atone for my actions."

Killua finishes softly. When Tori looks up at him, she sees a pair of comforting eyes. However, with a few droplets of tears coming out.

"Are you alright?" Tori asks.

"Y-yeah…" Killua wipes his eyes with his sleeve. "Don't worry about me."

"Can we slow down… a little bit? It's pretty hard for me to keep up."

"Sure. In fact, let's take a break for now. Why don't we sit down over there, by the wall. Just for a few minutes."

"And I'll still make it in time?" Tori asks.

"Yeah, of course." Killua says as the two begin to walk over.

After sitting down, Killua asks, "Tori, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

She hesitates for a little bit, but then speaks up. "My parents… They're seriously ill. Right now, their bodies are being frozen, in a room. My family doesn't have enough money to cure the disease, but with the money we do have, we can freeze their bodies up for a few weeks, hoping that I'd be able to somehow make a lot of money in that time and cure them. While the bodies are frozen, the disease won't spread."

"You're their only child?" Killua asks.

"Yeah…I then thought about the Hunter's Exam… They only have a little over a week left, so this might be my only chance."

"Wow…" After hearing her words, all Killua can do is gasp. "You wanna get going then?"

"Yeah."

They thought they'd be able to run quite peacefully because they're at the end of the group. But Shortly after getting back on track, however, a group of thugs surrounds them.

"Y'all should just give up already! Kids like you can't pass!" One of them says.

"Killua…" Tori ducks behind him and whispers. "I'm scared."

"Don't worry." Killua reassures him. I'll protect you."

"What are yer saying?!" Another one yells. "How can yer fight the four of us?! Just give up and we won't hurt ya!"

"I don't want to die…!" Tori whispers again, this time more desperately.

"You're not going to die." Killua reassures her again.

And with one single word, "Thunderbolt!" Then he sends all four members of the group flying off in the air, all of them unconscious.

"Wow.." Tori murmurs, shocked.

"See? We're fine." Killua pats her on the head.

"Thank you, Killua." Tori says politely.

"No problem… It looks like we're at the last stretch of the race. You think you can do it?"

"If you're here with me, then definitely."

Killua yearned for someone to say that sentence to him, someone other than Gon. And for that second, for that short moment, his heart slightly trembles with joy.

For the remainder of the race, just before crossing the finish line, another group tries to stop Killua and Tori. But like last time, Killua is able to blast them all away with one ability and protects Tori again.

After finishing the race, Joe, the guide for the four students from Kunlun's academy, walks over to Killua. "Alright, let's go. The event is done here."

"Hold on." Killua says and runs over to Tori.

"Tori!" Killua shouts. "My event is done here. Even though I really want to, I can't help you through this anymore."

"It's alright. If I encounter any difficulties in the future, I'll just think about you as my motivation. I'm sure...Because of you, I'll be able to pass this Exam!"

"Wow… Thanks." Says Killua, his cheeks slightly red because of the embarrassment. "Well, I guess this is goodbye! Say hi to your parents for me when they recover!"

"Sure thing!" The two wave at each other for the last time.

However, even after the separation, Tori quietly mutters.

" _Mom, dad. After I pass this exam and cure you, I'll definitely tell you about this. About today, the day where I had a big brother."_


	55. Chapter 55 - Grace, I x Like x You

**Chapter 55 - Grace, I x Like x You**

The group of four kids, Ben, Grace, Gon, and Killua are on an airship traveling back to their school to the Republic of Pandokea. They've just boarded, and none of them are ready to spend the next twelve hours stuck inside this flying vehicle.

"So...this is our room?" Killua sticks the room card into the hole in the doorknob and pushes the door open.

"Ah! It's a suite!" Ben yells as he sends himself across the room and crashes into the sofa in front of the TV.

"Since there are only two bedrooms...Grace can take one because she's a girl. You two, Gon and Ben, can share one." Killua says.

"Then what about you?" Gon asks.

"Don't worry about me." Killua smiles weakly. "I'll sleep on the couch here in the living room."

"Killua!" Grace shouts. "That's sooo sweet of you! But I kinda feel bad."

"Don't." Killua mutters. A voice is speaking in his head. " _Man! I'd love to sleep in the same room as Grace tonight!"_

"You can come to sleep with me if you want." Grace says quietly, her cheeks bright red.

"What?!" Killua jerks his body and shouts.

"Hehe…" Ben giggles. "And you two… are gonna… you'know…"

"No! No! No! NO!" Suddenly embarrassed, Grace slaps Ben in the face.

"Ow!"

"Oh, look!" Killua says as he walks into one of the bedrooms. "This one has a pullout couch."

"Then it's perfect!" Grace exclaims. "Killua and I can share that room. The pullout couch is more comfy than a regular sofa after all."

"Now that's all settled, why don't we go to the cafeteria on the fifth floor and have dinner. It's getting pretty late." Killua suggests. "We might even get a good window seat and see the outside as the airship takes off."

"Sounds good!"

"Oh man!" Ben gasps. "I'm full!"

"Yeah… Me too." Gon says as he licks off the last scraps on his plate.

"Grace!" Killua yells. "How are you still eating?"

"What?" She asks. "It's a buffet, so I can eat as much as I want."

"Yeah… " Killua mutters. "But you're relatively thin compared to how much you eat. And plus...A girl can't eat that much or you'll lose your attractiveness, right?"

Gon and Ben burst into laughter, leaving both Grace and Killua embarrassed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"N-nothing." Killua quietly whispers and goes back to finish his food.

Then, the floor of the airship gives a sudden jolt. Their journey in the air begins.

After dinner, the group heads back to their room. However, as they are traveling in the elevator to get to their room on the eighth floor, they hear an announcement being made through the speakers.

" _Emergency announcement! There is a dangerous person on the loose in this aircraft. Please calmly proceed back to your staterooms, lock your doors, and await further instructions."_

"What?!" Grace yells. "What do they mean by 'dangerous person'?"

"Probably a criminal or someone like that." Killua mutters. "But we're heading back to our room anyway. It won't be a problem for us."

With a sound of "Ding", the elevator arrives at the eighth floor.

"Let's go."

However, right when the door opens, all four of them gasp.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Ben shouts.

In front of them, stands a tall man. His shirt is dyed red by blood. He clenches a short dagger in his right hand.

"Run!" Killua yells. "Ben and Gon head to the right. Grace and I will go to the left!"

The four of them bolt out of the elevator and down the hallway, following Killua's orders.

Just as Killua suspected, the murderer also turns left because of Grace.

At first, Killua is able to put some distance between him and the murderer. However, Grace isn't so lucky. She isn't able to run as fast because of the shoes she's wearing.

"Killua!" Grace yells as she struggles to run."D-don't...leave me!"

Killua slows down his steps, and witnesses the murderer gradually catch up to the girl, and knocks her onto the ground.

" _I can't go back… If I do, I'll get myself killed too."_

But, subconsciously, Killua stops running and looks back.

" _What am I doing!?"_ He asks himself. " _Turn around and run! I don't want to get killed just because of my desire to save someone I recently just met a few days ago!"_

" _But no… To me, Grace is more than that… She's more than a mere classmate… How can I describe it...It's kinda like the same feeling I have when I'm with Gon, but it's also different at the same time."_

"Killua!" Grace yells. "Stop thinking about me! Just turn around and run! I don't want you to die too!"

"Oh?" The murderer opens his mouth. "Dying? This is going to be more fun than dying!"

"What are you?!" Shocked, Grace snaps in anger.

"Take off your clothes." The murderer commands.

"Oh no." Grace manages to squeeze this out of her throat.

"Or I'll do it for you." He shouts.

"Killua! Don't look!" Grace yells.

"You're worried about me looking?! Your life's on the line right now!"

Killua reluctantly shuts his eyes as the murderer strips away Grace's clothes, pieces by pieces. Until the last layer.

"Ah…!" The murder says as he scoops up some of her blue hair. "This smells soo good."

"That's it!" Killua yells in rage as he leaps toward him. "You don't get to do that! You lustful dirty killer!"

"Oh? Then do you get to do it?' The murderer asks.

"Eh...uh…" Suddenly embarrassed, Killua stutters on his words. But he then is able to focus his thoughts again. "No! I don't!"

" _Lightning palm!"_

This ability paralyzes the murderer for a short period of time. Immediately following, Killua kicks him in the stomach and sends him flying backward.

"Eh...It's super weird to see you like this." Killua gestures to Grace, who is lying on the ground. "But get back to the room. I'll handle this on my own."

"Killua." She reaches her arm out and clings onto his shoulders.

"Uh...W-what?"

"Don't push yourself, okay? Take care." With this last sentence, she turns around and walks off.

"T-thanks…"

Just in the single second Killua relaxes his guard, a knife comes flying his way. At first, he thinks it's going to miss him, but then he realizes he wasn't the murderer's target.

After realizing that there's no way to catch the flying weapon, Killua knows what he has to do in order to save Grace.

" _Speed of lightning!"_

With his insane speed in godspeed form, Killua catches up to the dagger in mid-air, and extends his arm.

No, not to catch it nor to knock it away. Because he knows if he tries to do either of these, there's a chance that the weapon will deflect off his body and still hit her.

Instead, he blocks the hit for Grace.

"Ah!" Killua groans in agony as the knife pierces into his forearm.

He hesitates no longer. With the knife still sticking out of his arm, he dashes toward the murderer and starts to swing his fist, smashing his face, going completely berserk.

The last thing he remembers before passing out is the him yelling, " _You don't get to tread on Grace's pride like it's nothing!"_

Killua feels something softly touches his cheeks. When he blinks his eyes open, he sees the face of a pretty, blue-haired girl.

"Grace?" He whispers lightly.

"Oh...Sorry that I woke you. But I'm sooo glad you're alright!"

"Where…? When?" Killua asks.

"Everything's fine now. We're in our room. Although it's already five o'clock in the morning. You were unconscious for the whole night."

"You stayed with me the whole time? You didn't fall asleep?"

"Of course not. There no way I could. Not with my hero wounded and unconscious."

"T-Thank you." Killua turns to his right and checks his shoulder. Once he sees it's safe and covered in bandages, he sighs in relief.

"I should be the one thanking you. If It weren't for you, I would've died."

"Do you know why I was able to save you back then? To sacrifice myself to save you?" Killua asks kindly.

"Why? Because you're a nice person?" Grace guesses.

"No, it's because of you, Grace." Killua pauses slightly. "I like you."

Grace gulps, but keeps quiet.

"In the past week," Killua continues. "I know people have been avoiding me because I'm a Zoldyck. Instead of listening to my heart to try to make friends, I tried to act like I'm the one who doesn't want friends. I'm sorry that I rejected you many times when you tried to work with me in school. So… for the first time, Grace, I want to be with you today. So stay with me, okay?"

"Yes… I will!" Grace answers without hesitation as she climbs into the bed, lying next to Killua. "Killua, can you hold my hand as we sleep?"

"Sure thing."

With their hands feeling each other's warmth. They fall asleep together, with pleasant smiles on both of their faces.


End file.
